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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28432047">Becoming Batwoman | Point Rock, Part V</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/EQT_95/pseuds/EQT_95'>EQT_95</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Becoming Batwoman [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batwoman (Comic), Batwoman (TV 2019)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Prequel, batmoore</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:07:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>48,050</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28432047</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/EQT_95/pseuds/EQT_95</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Kate Kane's fourth term at Point Rock.</p><p>Sequel to 'Point Rock, Part IV' and prequel to 'Curiouser and Curiouser'</p><p>24-Jan update: the two part finale was uploaded as chapter 12 + 13; an epilogue is included as chapter 14</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kate Kane/Sophie Moore</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Becoming Batwoman [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1749118</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>49</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>hi all,</p><p>I'm going to play the next part of the series pretty fast and loose. I've been obsessing over this next Point Rock term for the last week and have managed to build out a good chunk of it at this point - definitely faster than I've output any previous part of the story. With a few days off for New Years, I imagine I'll be in polish-mode pretty quickly.</p><p>That said, once this next term is wrapped, I plan on taking a couple weeks off to pick up a few neglected side projects  because I've sort of let this story rule much of my free time for the last few weeks. This is still a couple weeks off as I finish these next batch of chapters, but wanted to give notice now.</p><p>As always, a huge thanks for sticking with this; hopefully hanging out at Point Rock for a bit longer gels with y'all.</p><p>Cheers,<br/>EQT.95</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kate burst through the main office door, glancing at the clock hanging on the wall and letting out a small curse. She was eight minutes late and could already hear Reyes' prepared lecture about timeliness as he reprimanded her for being tardy yet again. Unlike previous semesters, her delinquency these days rarely had anything to do with her own actions. Now that she was working with a slew of underperforming cadets, her days were spent coordinating and overseeing breakout sessions that often ran over.</p>
<p>On the first day of the sessions, she walked into the gym and thought Reyes had set up some elaborate scheme to pull one over on her. The second year group had grown to thirteen by the end of term. Kate expected maybe a handful from each of the first and third years. Instead, what she walked in on was nearly three dozen students who had been assigned additional training; training that was now on Kate's shoulders to administer.</p>
<p>She understood immediately there was no way thirty-six cadets on top of the baker's dozen she was already working with could be contained into a single evening together. It clarified why Reyes had insisted on using the first two weeks to set up a programme for the semester: between this and coursework, practically every free minute was now scheduled with little wiggle room to breathe.</p>
<p>It was the rare occasion that she called Jacob Kane with a problem. She'd spent her teenage years fairly independent which worked with Jacob's travel schedule and parenting style, but in the first week she'd called him twice, threatening to drop out of the Academy. He talked her away from the ledge both times, reinforcing his support for Reyes' assigning her such a monumental task.</p>
<p>
  <em>"It speaks to his confidence in your ability to lead."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"And what exactly are the professors and drill sergeants supposed to be doing?"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Let me put it bluntly for you, Kate: I need leadership in the Crows. Right now I have a slew of ex-military who are all trigger-happy, but not one of them could lead a blind elephant to water if I set up a pool next door. Succeed at this and you'll be exactly what I'm looking for."</em>
</p>
<p>She took Jacob's words and tried to find solace in that, but for the first week she truly hated it. The first years were rowdy and undisciplined and the third years were clearly perturbed that their junior was giving them commands. Her voice had gone hoarse within days, and she found herself negotiating sleep with her studies.</p>
<p>She barged into Reyes' office by the end of the week demanding he relieve her of the assignment. Instead of acquiescing, Reyes advised three additional cadets had approached him about joining the sessions.</p>
<p>Kate Kane could count on one hand the number of times she was speechless from anger. Over the next two weeks, her clashes with Reyes rolled that count over to a second hand.</p>
<p>By the third week though, something shifted. The routine of working to exhaustion every day became the perfect distraction for the one thing that wouldn't leave her mind. Since the beginning of term, she'd managed to evade any unavoidable run-ins with her ex-girlfriend. It helped that she was keeping unreasonable hours and had managed to carve out a lesser-known spot at the library for studying, but that didn't eliminate the fact that classes were still scheduled together. That alone meant she was still a very tangible part of Kate's life, and any opportunity to ignore it was a small reprieve.</p>
<p>That said, it was an uncommon occurrence for Kate to avoid an ex. On no previous occasion had she sought to eliminate one from her life, and generally she still actively communicated or at least was on good terms with most. But there also wasn't precedent for the feelings Kate had for this one nor for how shattered and betrayed she'd felt at the end of term. She had hoped a month apart over winter break would be enough, but the first day of classes brought front and center the fact that she was still very much not over Sophie Moore.</p>
<p>Kate saw that Lieutenant Reyes' door stood ajar and, not bothering to knock, pushed it open, an apology spilling from her mouth when her eyes landed on the one person she'd spent the last month avoiding. Standing across from Reyes was none other than Sophie Moore who clearly looked just as surprised to see Kate standing in the doorway.</p>
<p>"I… uh, sorry I-"</p>
<p>"Late as usual, Cadet Kane."</p>
<p>"I can come back," Kate stammered, already stepping backwards out of the room.</p>
<p>"No, this concerns both of you."</p>
<p>"Sorry?" Kate asked, a chill of discomfort running down her spine.</p>
<p>"Please close the door."</p>
<p>"I… ok," Kate replied, her hesitation evident.</p>
<p>"Take a seat," Reyes said, gesturing at the two vacant seats.</p>
<p>"I'll stand, thanks," Kate said, lingering as close to the door as possible. She refused to look directly at Sophie, but she could see in her periphery that the hint was taken as she causally stepped toward the other side of the office, ensuring the largest possible space between them.</p>
<p>"Fine," Reyes said, leaning back into his own and surveying the two cadets standing in front of him. "Weren't you two roommates?" he asked, noting, quizzically, the office-wide distance between them and chilliness in the disposition toward the other.</p>
<p>"Last year," Kate said simply.</p>
<p>Reyes took Kate's answer to move on, shuffling a few papers on his desk as Kate noted he was prone to do; generally the more ridiculous the request the likelier he was to shuffle them. This wasn't a good sign for Kate.</p>
<p>"Cadet Kane, you have been doing a fine job with the cadets this semester. I've been told by a number of drill sergeants that they can already see improvement in overall performance," he began, and Kate knew better than to respond. Her eyes were already narrowed in suspicion. The only time Reyes led with a compliment was when he was about to deliver another assignment. "I understand much of your time has been devoted to the small groups we established at the beginning of term."</p>
<p>"Is there a point in any of this, sir?" Kate asked, not caring for the politics of how Reyes spoke.</p>
<p>"While those have been successful and I recognize the time commitment required in doing so, I'd like you to also begin a one-on-one training session. This will be a weekly activity and-"</p>
<p>"Excuse me?" Kate gaped, her jaw slack in surprise. Reyes, on the other hand, was not dissuaded by this interruption. If there was one thing Kate had begun appreciating about Reyes, it was that his tough-guy attitude had relaxed around her and, for better or worse, she was given the freedom to break from military norms while in his office. That didn't resolve him of the anger she felt toward him at the moment.</p>
<p>"The session will be weekly for an hour."</p>
<p>"Wh-"</p>
<p>"It will-"</p>
<p>"<em>Sir</em>."</p>
<p>"It will be up to you to negotiate your schedule," Reyes finished, ignoring Kate's outbursts.</p>
<p>"Permission to speak freely?"</p>
<p>"Granted. Not that my lack of permission has stopped you before," Reyes retorted. If she weren't so surprised by the request she might have noticed the slight smirk play at the edge of his lips.</p>
<p>"I think this is complete bullshit, sir," Kate said. "I've been busting my ass for weeks to do what you and your fellow drill sergeants can't or won't. And now I'm supposed to offer one-on-one sessions?"</p>
<p>"Yes."</p>
<p>"That's insane. Like, actually insane. I'm barely keeping up with my own studies on top of everything else," Kate said, her voice raised in obvious frustration. "Who is making these decisions? How am I supposed to pass anything if I'm constantly babying a bunch of underperforming plebes?"</p>
<p>"I agree, sir. It's an unreasonable request."</p>
<p>Kate turned in surprise. For a moment she'd forgotten Sophie was even there. More than that, Kate was failing to understand what she had to do with any of this.</p>
<p>"Cadet Moore, please wait in the hall."</p>
<p>"But sir, I-"</p>
<p>"That's an order."</p>
<p>Silence followed as Sophie hesitated for a moment before walking the length of the office, taking care to maximise her distance from Kate. A staredown between Kate and Reyes lasted past the time it took for the door to latch shut, and it was Reyes who finally spoke first.</p>
<p>"What have I said before?" Reyes said, his gaze unwavering from Kate's own fuming face.</p>
<p>"Which time?"</p>
<p>"Last term."</p>
<p>"I probably wasn't listening," Kate admitted dryly.</p>
<p>"Sometimes the best way to serve is to take the direction given and accept that you don't always know best."</p>
<p>"But sir, I-"</p>
<p>"You will be training with Cadet Moore."</p>
<p>Kate's mouth fell open, unable to comprehend Reyes' words.</p>
<p>"I don't understand. I… wait, no, I don't understand. Why?"</p>
<p>"Because your commanding officer says so."</p>
<p>"No, that's not reason enough this time," Kate said, shaking her head. "Sophie doesn't need help or training. This is a pointless exercise."</p>
<p>"I'm surprised, Kate."</p>
<p>"You're welcome," Kate offered sarcastically.</p>
<p>"You're sure you two were roommates?"</p>
<p>"Yes, why?"</p>
<p>"And you don't know?"</p>
<p>"Know what?"</p>
<p>"The Academy carries high standards on paper, but is known to turn a blind eye when certain benchmarks aren't maintained."</p>
<p>"Why are you talking in riddles?"</p>
<p>"Underperformance can't be ignored for long, Kate."</p>
<p>
  <em>Two weeks earlier</em>
</p>
<p>"<em>Kate? Are you in there?"</em></p>
<p>
  <em>Unfortunately she was. In addition to Sophie, Melvin had also been on her list of people to avoid. Things had been cordial enough, but not to the extent that everything from their argument at the end of term had blown over, and after a full day of classes followed by four hours of training, her mood had soured and the last thing on her mind was finding the patience to mend fences. It was a Friday night and she had no intention of doing anything but collapsing into bed and getting some rest.</em>
</p>
<p>"<em>Kate, I see the light on. Open up."</em></p>
<p>"<em>Not interested, Melvin," she called back. And she really wasn't. She'd just returned from the showers and was in no mood to open the door. For added emphasis, she latched the spare deadbolt.</em></p>
<p>"<em>I'm not leaving until you open the door."</em></p>
<p>"<em>Sounds like a shit way to spend a Friday night," she shot back.</em></p>
<p>"<em>Kate," he sighed, rapping his fist against the hollow door. "I'll knock it down."</em></p>
<p>
  <em>The knocking continued for another handful of minutes before Kate's patience snapped and she pulled the door open to reveal a surprised Melvin on the other side.</em>
</p>
<p>"<em>What?"</em></p>
<p>"<em>Hi."</em></p>
<p>"<em>What do you want Melvin?" Kate asked, making her annoyance clear.</em></p>
<p>"<em>It's Sophie."</em></p>
<p>"<em>Did you change your name?"</em></p>
<p>
  <em>It took half a beat for Melvin to understand Kate's response before he shook his head.</em>
</p>
<p>"<em>This is the third time-"</em></p>
<p>"<em>I don't care-"</em></p>
<p>"<em>Yes, you do," Melvin interrupted. "Look, I know you're hurting-"</em></p>
<p>"<em>No I'm not-"</em></p>
<p>"<em>Hang on," Melvin quickly interrupted again, anticipating Kate's denial. "I know you're hurting. I know that's why you've gone AWOL. But she's hurting, too. She's… she's not herself. She's aimless and-"</em></p>
<p>"<em>She has no one to blame but herself," Kate said coldly.</em></p>
<p>"<em>Kate," Melvin said, his face falling. "You don't mean that."</em></p>
<p>"<em>Except I do. Find someone else to help her," Kate said, swinging the door shut on Melvin's shocked face.</em></p>
<p>Sophie stared blankly at the closed door in front of her as muffled disagreements between Kate and Reyes continued. Reyes' proposal was a surprise to her and certainly not something she was prepared to sign on for. It was clear from Kate's initial reaction that she felt the same.</p>
<p>Sophie didn't know what she expected when the spring term started, but cold indifference from Kate was not it. They'd ended things in worse shape than she could have imagined but hoped the break would have softened the latest blows. It became obvious very quickly that Kate was not as forgiving as she had been of past transgressions when the first day of term arrived and Kate bypassed her and Melvin in the hall without a second glance.</p>
<p>
  <em>"I get why I'm getting the cold shoulder, but even you?" Sophie asked miserably.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"We may have said some things at the end of term," Melvin offered cryptically.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Oh?"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"I don't remember the specifics, but I may have called her bitter-"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Ouch."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"And maybe something about her pride getting in the way of well… everything."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"That doesn't seem so bad though."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Maybe."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"At least you didn't tell her you loved her and then turn around and reject her."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Yea. You definitely beat me there."</em>
</p>
<p>She had spent winter break miserable, feeling the lingering impacts of her decision weigh on her mind every quiet moment she had. It was only when she'd returned home at the beginning of break that she allowed herself the breakdown she'd spent the last few weeks of term fighting.</p>
<p>When her mother appeared at her side she blamed it on her breakup with Melvin and received soothing remarks of sympathy which only made her feel worse. Her parents permitted her space, and with that space she dwelled in all of the 'what ifs' that had been pushed aside for months. What if she just told her parents. What if she'd waited to break up with Kate. What if she'd done it sooner. What if Kate had never said those three words. What if she let Kate take those words back. What if she never had these feelings.</p>
<p>It was an endless list, and Sophie was not without time to mull everything over. She convinced herself she didn't regret her decision. It was for the best; she couldn't imagine a world where her parents would ever forgive "that kind of lifestyle" nor could she imagine a life without them in it. But no matter how much she convinced herself it was the right choice, it didn't mend the heartache she felt.</p>
<p>She'd also convinced herself that there was a chance to salvage a relationship with Kate; that they could overcome this and be friends again. She knew anything more would never happen, and the prospect of rooming together again was all but impossible, but she was willing to bend over backwards for anything that reflected more than a forgettable acquaintance. It was a stretch of the imagination to think it would happen overnight, but it was that thread of hope that got her through the break and to the beginning of term.</p>
<p>That's why Kate's reaction to her on that first day sent her spiraling and undid weeks of optimistically naive thinking. Kate's indifference made it worse than if she had simply told her to take a long walk off a short pier. At least then Kate and her would be on speaking terms.</p>
<p>She was steeped in renewed regret for the first week of class which made Riley's invitation to go to Wilfred that first Thursday night unusually tempting. It took both of them by surprise when she agreed to tag along. Part of her hoped she'd run into Kate. After the first hour and three drinks, her vision was blurred but it was becoming clearer and clearer that Kate wouldn't be making an appearance. It was on her fifth drink that Melvin intervened and dragged her back to the dorms.</p>
<p>After that she started skipping class. She wasn't sure why, and it wasn't like the isolation and loneliness of being in the dorm or library alone made the time spent more compelling or distracting. She still kept up with her studies and was on track with each syllabus with the exception of Tactics. In an uncharacteristic slight, she'd missed the part of the first day where they were advised missing more than two days would result in a full grade deduction. Every two days after that would see another drop. It was on her third missed day that she was called to Lieutenant Reyes' office and advised she would be put on probation if she didn't get her act together.</p>
<p>That didn't solve the fact she'd missed more than the allowable number of days meaning her GPA was shot. She realized this one move might have just cost her the Wayne Tech internship and her scholarship. This translated into another poor decision and a night at Wilfred Hall.</p>
<p>Misfortune followed her when she was picked up by campus police on her trek back to the dorms and issued a citation for underage drinking. She didn't leave bed the next day. Unfortunately that marked her fourth missed Tactics class, and Reyes had had enough. He summoned her to his office and briefed her with just enough information to know he had a plan for how she would make up her missed days over the rest of the semester. It was then that Kate arrived, and Reyes' words sank in.</p>
<p>The door across from her opened with surprising force, and Sophie jolted at Kate's look of annoyance as she exited the office. Kate froze when she caught sight of Sophie, moving only to close the door behind her.</p>
<p>Sophie opened her mouth to apologize, but Kate spoke first.</p>
<p>"Wednesdays at four," she said simply, avoiding eye contact and brushing past Sophie toward the main office's exit.</p>
<p>"I can't."</p>
<p>Kate froze and slowly turned back to Sophie. "What?" The tone sent a chill down Sophie's spine.</p>
<p>"Riley."</p>
<p>"Change it."</p>
<p>"Kate."</p>
<p>"I literally don't have any other availability, Sophie," Kate shot back. Sophie flinched at Kate's tone but nodded in understanding.</p>
<p>"Ok, I'll ask."</p>
<p>Kate had already turned to leave and was a handful of feet from doing so before she paused again and let out a sigh. "Don't ask her. I'll ask for access to the gym outside working hours."</p>
<p>"You can do that?"</p>
<p>"So I can do before seven or after nine," Kate continued, ignoring Sophie's question.</p>
<p>"Morning or evening?"</p>
<p>"Before seven in the morning or after nine in the evening," Kate clarified.</p>
<p>"Evening," Sophie said, knowing Kate's life preference was never to do anything before ten in the morning.</p>
<p>"Thursday or Friday."</p>
<p>"Thursday."</p>
<p>"Fine," Kate said, already at the door.</p>
<p>"Thank you," Sophie called out but knew the words missed, landing instead in the closed door.</p>
<p>"Cadet Moore," Reyes said from his doorway.</p>
<p>"Yes, sir?"</p>
<p>"I'm taking a risk on you. So is Kate. Don't mess this up."</p>
<p>"I know, sir."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"You're a decent teacher."</p>
<p>"You could be a better student," Kate said dryly.</p>
<p>"I'll be sure to archive that feedback. Have you gotten tenure yet or still stuck kissing ass?"</p>
<p>Kate froze and glanced at the girl smirking back. "The review is over spring break."</p>
<p>"Nice. You gonna take it?"</p>
<p>"Depends on the pay."</p>
<p>"I'm sure it'll be ten times your current salary," the girl winked back, and Kate felt her eyes roll. "I'm Sarah, by the way. I'm guessing you don't bother remembering names."</p>
<p>"I actually make cards: one for faces and one for names and then make it into a nightly game of memory," Kate replied easily.</p>
<p>"Really?" Sarah asked in surprise before a smirk of satisfaction on Kate's face revealed her sarcasm. "Well, don't forget this face."</p>
<p>"I'll try not to. Can't say the same for the name. Sam, right?"</p>
<p>"Sheila, actually. Super close though," Sarah replied, taking Kate's quips in stride. "Need any help cleaning up?"</p>
<p>"No, thanks. I'll just finish it up while I wait on my next appointment."</p>
<p>"But doesn't the gym close?"</p>
<p>"Not for tenure-track professors," Kate winked.</p>
<p>"I'd say that makes you lucky, but… your life seems pretty shit."</p>
<p>"Not far from the mark. Unlike your shooting skills," Kate muttered, causing Sarah to laugh.</p>
<p>"See you next week, Professor K."</p>
<hr/>
<p>Sophie felt her elbow strike the mat before the rest of her weight followed. She stared up at Kate, unphased by what had just occurred for what felt like the tenth time in as many minutes.</p>
<p>"Again," Kate said simply, retreating a few steps as Sophie rolled to her feet.</p>
<p>This takedown was even faster than the last. Sophie barely had a chance to react as she felt one of her legs knocked out from under herself, sending her off balance and allowing Kate to easily topple her over. Sophie blinked as the ground met her again.</p>
<p>She'd spent the better part of her life being the best. Nights and weekends were devoted to studying to be at the top of her class; to be perfect, but for the first time she was unprepared and nowhere near that.</p>
<p>"Again."</p>
<p>There'd been talk about Kate's sparring abilities. It was always said with an air of mythology to it, and since their combat courses involved limited room to show off, it had always remained an abstract idea for Sophie. She half-imagined Miller was just so uncoordinated that anything was magic to him. Seeing it now first-hand removed any doubt that the stories were true: Kate Kane knew how to fight. More than that, she did it with such precision that beating her felt like an impossibility.</p>
<p>She'd nervously arrived in the gym to find Kate clearing out standardized physical training equipment that all Tactics sessions began with. Sophie had limited knowledge of what all went on in these supplemental training sessions, but it was clear that they took direction from the standard training. When Kate caught sight of her it was almost an unrecognizable stare that met her.</p>
<p>"<em>Put those on," Kate said, pointing to the set of sparring gear they'd used in the spring term of their first year.</em></p>
<p>"<em>I'm not wearing that," Sophie said stubbornly, noting only one set was laid out. If she was going to train with Kate, it was going to be as equals.</em></p>
<p>"<em>Yes you are," Kate said again without emotion.</em></p>
<p>"<em>That wasn't part of the agreement."</em></p>
<p>"<em>The agreement was that you listen to me," Kate said, a flare of annoyance permeating from her voice. "That means you put on the pads."</em></p>
<p>"<em>No."</em></p>
<p>Sophie thought she had gotten away with a win when Kate finally backed off. Unfortunately, that victory was short-lived when she realized the rigor with which Kate would be taking the running this training session.</p>
<p>Sophie sighed, hopping to her feet. She stepped back defensively, increasing the space between her and Kate. She watched as Kate casually closed that gap but didn't move to strike. Sophie's hands were lifted while Kate's remained at her side. She hesitated briefly before adjusting her weight and felt her right arm extend toward Kate. In the flash of a moment she immediately recognized her mistake. Kate slipped past the strike and brought her left hand up and around Sophie's now extended arm. In another flash Kate easily manipulated her arm with a single twisting motion around her back, stopping just short of hurting Sophie. Kate held her for half a moment before releasing.</p>
<p>"Again."</p>
<p>A sense of growing frustration filled Sophie as she watched Kate step back to give Sophie time to recover. She wasn't winded, but compared to the relaxed way Kate was approaching the spars, she might as well have been gasping for air. She surveyed Kate's stance as she had every time before in hopes it would shed light on what her strategy was. Instead, as with every other time, Kate gave no indication. Sophie's memory scanned the last handful of attacks, searching for reactions she could build into her moves, but by the time she could formulate even an iota of a strategy, she was already back on the mat.</p>
<p>"Again."</p>
<p>Sophie lifted herself up, her frustration eating at her wounded pride.</p>
<p>"Am I supposed to be learning something from this?" Sophie asked, standing a little too casually.</p>
<p>This casualness left her in a headlock two moves later. Kate released her with a small push.</p>
<p>"Again."</p>
<p>Sophie felt herself visibly shudder at Kate's indifference. She turned to see Kate staring back at her, her face devoid of emotion. She felt her pulse heighten at this, a low beating in her ears drowning out her ability to think. She watched as Kate stepped toward Sophie, this time seeing Kate's arm before it could land and blocking it. Instinctively, she let her other arm extend and land with surprising strength into Kate's stomach. The punch caught Sophie by surprise which gave Kate just enough time to recover and knock Sophie's feet out from under her.</p>
<p>"Better. Again."</p>
<p>It was one word, but it delivered a small wave of confidence through Sophie as she rose to face off again. Unfortunately, it didn't improve her performance in the next round as the familiar mat absorbed her fall.</p>
<p>"Again."</p>
<p>This went on for another twenty minutes. Sophie lost track of how many attempts were made. All she needed to know was that every one of them resulted in her cosying up to the mat.</p>
<p>"We're done for tonight," Kate said finally.</p>
<p>"What?" Sophie asked in confusion, trying to calm her strained breathing. She picked herself up from the mat, watching Kate step away from her toward the locker room. "Wait but-"</p>
<p>"It's ten," Kate called back, not changing her trajectory, and in a moment Sophie was alone in the expansive space, staring back at the closed door of the locker room Kate had just closed behind her.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy New Year!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"You 21?" the guy at the door said, peering at her through the dim lighting.</p>
<p>"Yea," Kate lied.</p>
<p>"Any ID to prove that?"</p>
<p>"She's with us," came a voice from behind Kate. She turned around to see Tim Bradley walking toward the entrance with his roommate, Alex, and a number of other fourth year cadets.</p>
<p>The bouncer glanced behind the group and gave a nod of familiarity before waving them all in. Kate hesitated. She hadn't come out to socialize, and didn't want to feel the obligation of making small talk with this group. Before she could make up her mind though, she felt Tim's arm wrap around her in friendly greeting and pull her toward the entrance.</p>
<p>"You didn't have to do that," Kate muttered to Tim when they were through the doors and into the dimly lit bar. It wasn't anything special, but it was the closest bar from campus, and Kate hadn't been much in the mood to find anything more exotic. It was sprinkled with locals and cadets from the Academy. Most were fourth years who she recognized from running the course. The ones who in turn recognized her eyed her with amused grins, as though happy to share in the secret of her being underage. It hadn't occurred to her the bar would be so popular with the students, but now that she was here it made sense: it was a grown up version of Wilfred hall. She imagined this was the natural course of events: everyone under 21 spent their nights within the confines of a school dormitory, but once the gates of aging opened up, they flooded here.</p>
<p>'Here' was a dimly but decently lit hodge podge of spaces under one roof: the bar ran the full length of the space. Dart boards lined the far walls while three pool tables created a buffer between that and a zone of traditional table and chair seating. Closer to the front was a lounge space of found furniture; all of the pieces were well-worn and had clearly seen better days. They were rotated to quarter off smaller spaces for groups of 2-4 within the whole zone, but Kate watched as the group of eight made quick work to collage them into a larger sitting area.</p>
<p>Tim simply smiled at Kate before turning toward the group in full. "First round's on me," he said before pointing to each member for their respective orders. A couple went for beers while others called out adolescent classics like cranberry vodka or rum and coke. When he turned toward Kate her eyes narrowed somewhat in surprise.</p>
<p>"Thanks, but I'll get my own."</p>
<p>"Suit yourself," Tim shrugged, and they both made their way to the bar.</p>
<p>It took a moment for Tim to rattle off the order, but once he did, the bartender left the two of them standing in silence. The sound of 90s alternative music played softly in the background, drowned out by the rowdy shouts of comradery coming from the group of fourth years.</p>
<p>"We don't normally see your kind out here," Tim said lightly.</p>
<p>"My kind?"</p>
<p>"Second years," he grinned. "What with that stringent school policy about underage drinking…"</p>
<p>"Oh, right, because they're so strict about that," Kate replied dryly, thinking of the unsanctioned drinking going on in Wilfred at that very moment.</p>
<p>The bartender returned with Kate's beer and Tim's batch of orders. He waved Alex over to help him.</p>
<p>"You coming?" he asked, nodding toward the crowd of laughter.</p>
<p>"I'm fine here, thanks."</p>
<p>"We don't bite. We're all actually pretty helpless."</p>
<p>"Oh, I know. I've seen you lot run the course," Kate smirked.</p>
<p>"Ouch," he grinned back lightly. "Well, even after that, consider it a standing invitation. We'll save an armchair for you."</p>
<p>Kate downed the final sip of her first beer just as the bartender arrived with a refill. She nodded in thanks, staring at the foamy head fading into the rest of the golden liquid.</p>
<p>It was the first night she'd done anything that wasn't coursework or drill related since the beginning of term which was unusual. Her partying days had been at its peak in high school followed by a slow deterioration over the last three semesters at Point Rock. When it became clear she enjoyed evenings in with Sophie more than a night out getting a buzz, it had become a natural decline. Now the controlling factor was her schedule. She'd been working nonstop for weeks that an evening off seemed like an impossibility, and it was only when she found herself veering off campus toward 'town' that she made up her mind to take the night off.</p>
<p>"You didn't seem like the lone wolf type," came an unfamiliar voice. Kate turned to see a familiar face but, like most of the fourth years, she didn't know her name. For having spent the better part of her Saturday's with them last term, she was beginning to realize they knew more about her than she did collectively about them. It had never occurred to her to strike up conversations in the wee hours of the morning; her focus had always been on serving her time and proving Reyes wrong.</p>
<p>"Well you don't know me very well."</p>
<p>"Aren't you training all those cadets?" the familiar, unfamiliar continued casually, waiting for the bartender to finish up someone else's order.</p>
<p>Kate nodded simply.</p>
<p>"Doesn't seem very 'lone wolf' to me. You've got your own little pack."</p>
<p>"You're really into this metaphor."</p>
<p>The girl shrugged as the bartender came over and took her beer order. When he left she glanced back toward Kate.</p>
<p>"So what is tonight? You getting drunk then howling at the moon?"</p>
<p>"You know there is such a thing as too much metaphor?"</p>
<p>"At least it's not about boats," she shot back, and Kate felt the edge of her lips break into a smirk. "So?"</p>
<p>"I was going to stop at 'tipsy', but otherwise, yea," Kate replied nonchalantly, lifting the glass to her lips.</p>
<p>"But it's only a half moon," the girl observed.</p>
<p>"I didn't say it was going to be satisfying."</p>
<p>"You also don't look like the beer drinking type."</p>
<p>"You're actually not wrong there."</p>
<p>"Let me guess… bourbon."</p>
<p>"Close. A cousin."</p>
<p>"A whiskey then," the girl pondered, "with an 'e' or without?"</p>
<p>"Without," Kate said, impressed by her distinction.</p>
<p>"So obviously it's a Scotch, but which type… now that I think about it, bourbon is too sweet for you. You've got a stoic badass quality about you, which makes me want to say you like something young or something obscure."</p>
<p>"Why not both?"</p>
<p>"Because obscurity shows taste and young suggests alcoholism. I'd lean towards the former over the latter given the slothful way you've nursed your first beer."</p>
<p>"You've been watching me for a while."</p>
<p>"Oh, shucks. And here I was trying to be so coy and shy about that," the girl replied dryly.</p>
<p>"Do you have a name?"</p>
<p>"No."</p>
<p>Kate glanced back in surprise.</p>
<p>"I have a letter: V."</p>
<p>"That was really cheesy," Kate observed with a small chuckle.</p>
<p>"You're gay, right?" V asked, after taking the beer offered from the bartender.</p>
<p>"Is that how I'm identified by you all?"</p>
<p>"No, not by all of us. It is a defining feature to some more than others."</p>
<p>"Is that right? I like to think there are more interesting things about me than that."</p>
<p>"Such as?"</p>
<p>"I once saved a cat from a tree."</p>
<p>"Is that right," V replied, mocking Kate's words from moments earlier while trying to hide the amusement on her face with forced seriousness.</p>
<p>"And won first prize in my third grade spelling bee."</p>
<p>"You should let others tell you what's interesting," V suggested.</p>
<p>"But then what would my ego spend all it's time doing?"</p>
<p>V laughed. Kate noted it was a nice laugh; authentic but not too over the top. It was one that suggested a life that didn't take things too seriously. She also had a confidence about her that made her immediately easy to talk to. She wasn't about to share her darkest secrets with this stranger, but there was a passable friendliness that surprised her.</p>
<p>"Got room for one more?" V asked, glancing toward the stool next to Kate.</p>
<p>"As long as you don't expect much by way of conversation," Kate replied.</p>
<p>"I'll take my chances," V replied easily, slipping onto the seat.</p>
<p>They sat in silence for a handful of minutes, both nursing their beers in the company of white noise that came from the groups behind them.</p>
<p>"You play pool?"</p>
<p>"No."</p>
<p>"You won't last long around here then."</p>
<p>"Do they execute anyone who doesn't?" Kate asked.</p>
<p>"Yea, didn't you see the sacrificial slab next to the bathroom?"</p>
<p>"I figured it was just a diaper-changing tray, but the blood splatter was an obvious giveaway now that you mention it."</p>
<p>"Yea, the janitor does a right shit job of keeping it presentable," V added.</p>
<p>Kate smiled. It had been a while since she'd felt one come naturally, and she wasn't the only one who noticed.</p>
<p>"Oh good, I was worried your face was paralyzed or something," V remarked, giving Kate a sideways glance as she brought her beer to her lips.</p>
<p>"Ok, let's go," V said, slapping the bar and standing with an eager enthusiasm.</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"It's our turn. We're up."</p>
<p>"It's our turn? For what?" Kate asked.</p>
<p>"I see you're going to be dead weight in more ways than one," she remarked, walking toward the empty pool table.</p>
<p>"No, no, I said I don't play," Kate said resolutely, staying seated.</p>
<p>"Don't worry, it's doubles," Tim called as he began racking the set of balls.</p>
<p>"Come on lone wolf. If you win I'll let you spend the rest of the night as alone as you want," V teased.</p>
<p>"Is that your official bet?" Tim asked.</p>
<p>"Oh, hell no," V said. "This is a side bet."</p>
<p>"You're playing Peyton and Alex," Tim explained as Kate cautiously slipped from her stool and joined the group.</p>
<p>"But only because Sarah is late," the girl who Kate concluded was Peyton said in annoyance.</p>
<p>"Who?" Tim asked with a smirk.</p>
<p>"We don't hang out with a Sarah," Alex said, shaking his head in feigned confusion.</p>
<p>"Do you mean Sara<em>h</em>?" V asked, emphasizing the traditionally silent 'h'.</p>
<p>"That joke has gotten really old," another girl called from one of the tables.</p>
<p>"Why are you pronouncing the h?" Kate asked V when the group got distracted by arguing the merits of a long joke.</p>
<p>"Her mom is Iranian, dad is American," V said lightly. "And in Farsi they pronounce their h's. When Sarah's birth certificate was filled out, the nurse included the h by accident and since her mom was passed from, well, birthing her and her dad is a white boy from Kansas, no one caught it until it was too late-"</p>
<p>"So now her family pronounces the -h."</p>
<p>"At least her mom's side of the family... And us," V grinned.</p>
<p>"All right, place your bets," Tim shouted, ending the multiple conversations that had branched off.</p>
<p>"Bets?" Kate asked.</p>
<p>"Don't worry about it, noob, I've got this," she said, scribbling something on a napkin and handing it to Tim. "Besides, even if you're the worst pool player imaginable, we'll still win by a mile."</p>
<p>"Humble and subtle," Kate smirked. "What a charming combination."</p>
<p>"Shut up and break," V retorted, handing her a stick.</p>
<p>Kate watched and grew impressed by the way V masterfully controlled the table. She was even a bit disappointed when Alex ended the round prematurely with a poor shot that landed the eight ball in a pocket early. Cries of disqualification filled the bar as V made a victory lap of the table, high-fiving friends and strangers alike.</p>
<p>What happened after confused Kate, and she spent half a moment trying to decipher it before stepping away from the ensuing chaos.</p>
<p>"You have to do it!" the girl from earlier shouted from across the bar. There was some bet that had been lost as a result of the game, and now arguments were being had about who had to do what.</p>
<p>She could already imagine herself staying till close with this group. It wasn't how she'd planned to spend the night, but the distraction of this tightly knit group had been just what she was looking for. With it though came a small pang of sadness as she realized she'd not hung out with anyone from her year for weeks.</p>
<p>She glanced at her phone for the time and felt the pang of responsibility guide her toward her jacket. It was one thing to let off some steam, but it was entirely something else to over drink and shut down the bar. The latter was not an option. Being Saturday night, she had the following day off from any cadet-training related responsibilities, but she knew from experience that toiling the day away and avoiding her studies would come back to bite her by Tuesday.</p>
<p>After finding her coat draped over the stool she'd left at the bar and slipping it on, she made eye contact with Tim just long enough to wave goodbye. He offered a sad face but nodded in farewell.</p>
<p>"Next weekend?" he called over the unresolved arguing.</p>
<p>"We'll see," Kate called back with a half grin.</p>
<p>She stepped into the night and heard silence engulf her as the door slipped shut behind her. She was half a block down the street when the sound of music and shouts spilled back into the street. Kate didn't look back but heard her name called and found herself slowing. The sound of approaching steps compelled her to turn and found V behind her.</p>
<p>"You did not just make me chase after you," she said with feigned annoyance.</p>
<p>"Is that what you call chasing? My grandmother walks faster than that."</p>
<p>"Yea, well, black ice is a thing," V insisted, and Kate realized she'd haphazardly thrown on her jacket in her haste to join Kate in the cold.</p>
<p>"Have you ever seen black ice? Because this," Kate said, gesturing to the dry sidewalk, "is not it."</p>
<p>"Are you always like this?"</p>
<p>"Which part?"</p>
<p>"You just lurk off into the night without so much as a goodbye?" V challenged, causing Kate to hesitate.</p>
<p>"Is that a problem?"</p>
<p>"It's not the best trait, but I'm willing to overlook it on account of the rest of you."</p>
<p>"The rest of me?"</p>
<p>"Are you fishing for a compliment?"</p>
<p>"Are you offering one?"</p>
<p>"You know you're hot, right?" V asked rhetorically.</p>
<p>"I'm still waiting on the test results to come back."</p>
<p>"Sardonic as hell, too," V said with an eyeroll.</p>
<p>"Now that is something I did know-"</p>
<p>Kate barely finished her words because at that moment V's lips were pressed against hers.</p>
<p>A flood of feelings, reactions, and thoughts rushed through Kate's mind. All of them were shouting at her to stop, but she forced them aside. It took only a second for her to let them fade and to hungrily reciprocate, diving into the escape that this stranger's warm and inviting lips provided.</p>
<p>Kate barely remembered the steps that led them to the alley next to the bar or the way V pressed her against the cool brick wall or how their hands slipped within the folds of their jackets. All she remembered was the disconnect from reality she felt. The weight of every doubt and concern that had controlled her the last few weeks, months, year lightened to nothing as this body filled her with temporary pleasure. It was a breath of fresh air. She yearned for this momentary interruption and was falling fast for its fleeting carefreeness, driven by its embrace. It was this feeling that she clung to that left her gasping for breath when V finally pulled back.</p>
<p>"Well that was unexpected," V remarked happily. She remained pressed against Kate, her own breathing labored by the kiss. Kate felt a grip of want against her waist, noting V's hands had maneuvered their way under the layers of Kate's winter clothes and rested against skin.</p>
<p>Kate could only nod, trying to tame the desire to recapture V's lips.</p>
<p>"Do you want to get a room?" V asked, reading the want in Kate's eyes.</p>
<p>The words were simple, but Kate's gaze was pulled from V's lips to her face as she did a double take.</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"There's a motel down the street."</p>
<p>Kate felt the pull of responsibility tell her to say no, but the grip from V's hands was a remarkable counterargument to stay.</p>
<p>"You want to… are you serious?" Kate said, unable to hide her surprise and struggling with the internal debate waging a war with the proposition.</p>
<p>"Yes."</p>
<p>V said it so casually. It held the same no-strings attached tone she'd used in so many similar situations with so many other women: Kate could walk away and this stranger wouldn't hold it against her. It was a free pass.</p>
<p>"Really?" Kate questioned again.</p>
<p>"Do you not?"</p>
<p>There was nothing personal in the way V asked the question, but it wasn't entirely impersonal either. It was a genuine curiosity; one that challenged the tone of the night and the subtle cues given off but not one meant to make her feel guilty if the answer was one of rejection.</p>
<p>The cloud of emotions Kate had stomped down was beginning to loom back over her as she negotiated her answer. She fought with them a moment longer before pressing mute and doing the one thing her instincts wanted but her heart didn't: she closed the distance between her lips and V's.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The way I've been writing these latest chapters has been a bit A/B/A/B where A is a lengthier, that dives into a single period of time followed by a B chapter that includes a series of mini interactions that help fill in the story/time with added context. This has resulted in smaller chapters than I'd normally publish, but I like the rhythm of this and plan to continue it for the rest of this term.</p>
<p>As always, thanks for giving this a read and sticking with all the experimenting.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Hey, have any of you seen Kate?"</p>
<p>Melvin, Sophie, and James all looked up in surprise as Chelsea stopped by their table at the mess hall.</p>
<p>"Uh… no," Melvin answered for the group.</p>
<p>"She isn't around?" Chelse asked, unphased by the confused looks on the trio's faces.</p>
<p>"Not sure, why?" Melvin asked.</p>
<p>"Can one of you message her?" Chelsea continued.</p>
<p>"Why can't you?" he replied, trying to deflect the task and responsibility of interacting with Kate.</p>
<p>"Because she'll respond faster if it's one of you," Chelsea explained.</p>
<p>"Maybe you should text her."</p>
<p>"Why?" Chelsea asked, clearly not reading the room.</p>
<p>"W-we-"</p>
<p>"We might be going to the library," Sophie chimed in. "And the reception is pretty spotty."</p>
<p>"I've literally never stepped foot in the library," Chelsea gaped. "But if you say so," she sighed, pulling out her phone.</p>
<p>"Just curious - what'd you need her for?" Melvin asked. "If we run into her we can pass along the message."</p>
<p>"Oh, she didn't come back to the room last night. I wanted to make sure she's not like, dead in a ditch somewhere, you know?"</p>
<p>"Really?" Melvin asked, unable to contain his surprise.</p>
<p>"Well, if she did, she must have gotten up <em>super</em> early. It's kind of weird, actually; she must sleep like, four hours a night."</p>
<p>"Right," Melvin nodded.</p>
<p>"But it's Sunday."</p>
<p>"Meaning…?" Sophie asked.</p>
<p>"She's off on Sundays. It's like, the only day I wake up before her," Chelsea replied, befuddled that the trio didn't seem to know this. "Can you believe that Lieutenant has her training a hundred people?"</p>
<p>"I heard it was closer to fifty," James offered, finally joining the conversation.</p>
<p>"Same difference. I hope she's getting paid for that," she added as an aside. "Oh, are you two back together yet?"</p>
<p>"What, no," Melvin said, fielding the question with surprise.</p>
<p>"Too bad. Glad you're still friends though," Chelsea smiled excitedly before leaving them.</p>
<p>"Is she getting paid?" James asked once Chelsea had left.</p>
<p>Melvin and Sophie glanced at each other, realizing they had no idea either.</p>
<p>"I actually have no clue how that whole thing works," Sophie said with sincerity. She'd casually tried to get clarity a number of times, but no one from the group of scholars could shed any light on it.</p>
<p>"It's new, though, right?" Melvin asked thoughtfully.</p>
<p>"As far as I know, it is. I feel like no one wants to ask too many questions for fear of getting roped into it, too. The hours are insane; I really don't know how she's doing it."</p>
<p>"But how did Kate get roped into it?" Melvin asked, voicing questions he'd only thought for the last few weeks.</p>
<p>"Your guess is as good as mine. I'd ask Reyes, but I'm not exactly on his good side these days."</p>
<p>"And I'd ask Kate but…"</p>
<p>"Right," Sophie said, agreeing with his unfinished remark.</p>
<p>"Four hours of sleep is nothing," James added in unrelated fashion. "Right? I mean, I get like...seven, eight?"</p>
<p>"Ten," Melvin corrected. "You're like a sloth, man."</p>
<p>"Yea, ten. Compared to four? That makes it worse, right?"</p>
<p>"That is how math works, bud."</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Not bad today, Sarah."</p>
<p>"You remembered it!"</p>
<p>"Don't tell the others or else I'll have to remember everyone's."</p>
<p>"Lips are sealed. I'd even give you a gold star, but you're saying it wrong," Sarah grinned.</p>
<p>"How am I…?" Kate faded as a realization dawned on her.</p>
<p>"It's Sara<em>h</em>," she smirked back.</p>
<p>"Right."</p>
<p>"I hear you and V got to know each other last weekend," she continued casually.</p>
<p>An unfamiliar blush pinked Kate's cheeks from the sudden vulnerability of the situation. She didn't know what she expected from V, but she thought there'd be some discretion about who she shared the information with.</p>
<p>"Relax," Sarah continued, sensing Kate's discomfort. "Only the right people know about it," she added with a wink.</p>
<p>"Sorry, I… I don't understand," Kate continued, glancing around, cautious of what might be overheard.</p>
<p>"There's a small group of us that get together every Tuesday at a place in town. You should come."</p>
<p>"Uh, I can't. I have… well, some version of this," Kate said, gesturing at the remnants of the training session, appreciating the excuse.</p>
<p>"When do you finish?"</p>
<p>"Late," Kate replied cryptically.</p>
<p>"What time?"</p>
<p>"Nine, usually, but sometimes it goes later-"</p>
<p>"Great. You can come after."</p>
<p>"I really don't think-"</p>
<p>"I'll have V text you the details," Sarah continued, turning to leave before pausing. "She did get your number, right?"</p>
<p>"Uh, no."</p>
<p>"It's a wonder she ever gets a second date."</p>
<p>"Oh, no, it wasn't like that-"</p>
<p>"Relax, Kane. It was a joke. Are you always this uptight?"</p>
<p>Kate paused at this. She knew Sarah's question was rhetorical, but Kate realized how on the mark it was.</p>
<p>"Here, type it in," Sarah said, thrusting her phone into Kate's personal space. Kate obliged and Sarah offered a smirk of satisfaction before parting. "See you Tuesday."</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Again."</p>
<p>"How many times are we going to do this?" Sophie sighed, the familiar tinge of frustration eating at her patience.</p>
<p>"Again," Kate repeated without further explanation.</p>
<p>They'd been at it for nearly an hour, and after two weeks Sophie had yet to make any tangible progress. Every time she thought she was beginning to improve, she wound up on the mat again.</p>
<p>"Kate," she said, unable to hide her growing annoyance before trying to block Kate's attack. It lasted for all of two moves before it failed, and she again felt the mat catch her fall.</p>
<p>She let out another sigh of annoyance, lifting herself to her feet. Her patience was waning, and it was exacerbated by Kate stonewalling her.</p>
<p>"Again."</p>
<p>"This is teaching me nothing," Sophie tried explaining as she lifted her arms again. She saw Kate shift her weight to the left and raised an arm to deflect before she realized her error and saw Kate's weight slip to her right. A moment later she fell onto the mat with a groan of frustration.</p>
<p>She lifted herself quickly, raising her arms as Kate's stoicism remained fixed. She waited for Kate to make the first move and saw the same slight shift, this time to Kate's right. Instead of immediately reacting, she took a step back and watched Kate's weight shift forward. Sophie lifted an arm and deflected it before jumping to her right. She mimicked the process, waiting for a glimpse to appear before reacting. It worked two more times before she found staring up at Kate.</p>
<p>Her frustration grew as she climbed to her feet. It had been weeks of nothing but this indifferent version of Kate, and it was worse than she could have imagined. The lone hour they spent together each week had introduced a small glimmer of hope into Sophie's life. How she ended up in this predicament was of her own making, sure, but it also introduced a path toward a relationship with Kate. Or so she thought. Instead, week after week was met with the same cold, calculated interactions, and Sophie couldn't help but struggle to understand this version of Kate. Even on their worst days, the distance she felt from Kate had never reached this magnitude.</p>
<p>"Aga-"</p>
<p>"Kate," Sophie cut in. "Can we please just talk for a second?"</p>
<p>"That's not what you're here for."</p>
<p>"I know that, but… is this working for you? Is all of this… is it?"</p>
<p>Sophie couldn't identify the stare coming from Kate, but it sent an uncomfortable chill down her spine.</p>
<p>"I'm not here because any of this is working for me. I'm here because you fucked up and somehow we're both paying the price for it. This will start working for me when I don't have to spend another minute around you."</p>
<p>"Kate," Sophie said softly, stepping back in surprise. "You… I'm sorry."</p>
<p>"I am really sick of hearing your apologies, Sophie."</p>
<p>"And I'm really sick of seeing you build up walls because I hurt you. That isn't why I… that's never what I wanted, Ka-"</p>
<p>"No, you don't get to do this. You don't get to decide to say this to me," Kate interrupted. "Again."</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Hey."</p>
<p>Kate glanced to her left and saw Melvin had slipped into the seat next to her. She glanced to her right and behind her, as though contemplating punching her way through the wall or row of cadets to flee his company.</p>
<p>"I heard you were training with Sophie," he whispered over the lecture going on at the front of the room. Kate remained silent, staring diligently ahead. "I know it can't be easy, but I'm really glad you two are working it out."</p>
<p>Kate flinched at Melvin's words, and she turned to look at him, her face clad in confusion. "Sophie is the last person I'd work worth."</p>
<p>"But I thought-"</p>
<p>"I'm only doing it because Reyes is making me."</p>
<p>"Oh… I… I didn't-"</p>
<p>"Do you mind?" Kate interrupted, nodding toward the professor at the front of the class.</p>
<p>"Right… sorry."</p>
<p>Minutes passed, and Kate could sense every fidget from Melvin. Either he was nervous or eager to say something more. A moment later Kate found clarity: It was eager nervousness.</p>
<p>"Are we cool?" he whispered softly.</p>
<p>"Sure," Kate answered.</p>
<p>"Really, or are you just saying that?"</p>
<p>"Can we talk after this?" Kate asked, tearing her eyes from the front of the room.</p>
<p>"Yea, yea, of course."</p>
<p>The remainder of the lecture was spent in silence, but Kate noted the final five minutes were met with the same fidgeting as earlier. She couldn't help but smirk at Melvin's obvious discomfort.</p>
<p>When the professor had released the class, everyone got up and began filing out but Kate remained in her seat, and Melvin obliged by staying put in his own. They sat in silence for a few moments after the last cadet trickled out.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry about how last semester ended," Melvin began. "I didn't mean any of it, and honestly I wish I could take it all back."</p>
<p>"No you don't," Kate said. "You meant it at the time, and that's fine."</p>
<p>"Yea, but I don't want that to mess us up," Melvin said softly.</p>
<p>"You have a real way with words," Kate smirked, causing Melvin to relax slightly. "You were right though, even if I wasn't ready to hear it."</p>
<p>"Wait… what was that?" he asked, a small grin threatening the mood.</p>
<p>"I'm not saying it again."</p>
<p>"Here, let me get my phone out to record this."</p>
<p>"Melvin-"</p>
<p>"Just a second," Melvin continued, flipping through his phone. "Ok, go."</p>
<p>"You're an ass."</p>
<p>"Nope, that's not it. I think you were looking for three different words."</p>
<p>Kate sighed, shooting Melvin a mock glare of annoyance.</p>
<p>"You were right."</p>
<p>"Yessss," he called out.</p>
<p>"You never pressed the record button, by the way," Kate said, rising from her seat and climbing over her seat to the row behind them.</p>
<p>"Wait, what? Oh, no, no, no," Melvin groaned. "Say it again?"</p>
<p>"Not a chance," Kate smirked.</p>
<p>"Hey, wait up," he said, realizing Kate was making for the exit without him.</p>
<p>"Can't," she called back. "I'm already late."</p>
<p>"For what?" Melvin asked, shoving his notebook into his bag as he chased after her. "There aren't any classes scheduled."</p>
<p>"First years," Kate explained briefly.</p>
<p>"But it's Friday," Melvin said in surprise, half jogging to keep up with Kate's pace.</p>
<p>"Yea, and the poor kids have to spend it with me."</p>
<p>"You have these on Friday?" Melvin continued, perplexed by this.</p>
<p>"I have these every day," Kate replied with a sigh.</p>
<p>"Are you serious?"</p>
<p>"Except Sundays. Reyes graced me with that off."</p>
<p>"How nice of him… for how long?"</p>
<p>"No idea. The semester? Sorry, I've really gotta run."</p>
<p>"Oh, yea, sure," Melvin said quickly. "Hey wait, sorry, real quick."</p>
<p>"Yea?" Kate asked, pausing a few steps ahead of him.</p>
<p>"What are they paying you for this?"</p>
<p>Kate's head tilted to the side in confusion. "Funny."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kate found herself walking into a small, drabby looking bar that would make even the dingiest English pubs seem like poppin clubs. She double checked the information in the text to confirm she was at the right location when a burst of laughter turned her attention toward the back of the space. The bartender simply nodded at her as she made her way past the only other two patrons in the space - both posted up at the bar and drinking something much harder than beer.</p>
<p>The glow of a space beyond contrasted severely with the dimly lit space she was in, and she hesitated for a moment when a door to her right opened and she ran into Sarah.</p>
<p>"You made it!" she called, wiping her hands onto her pants before pulling Kate into a hug. The gesture felt far too friendly for the few conversations they'd shared, and a part of Kate wondered if she'd made the right choice to stop by.</p>
<p>"What are you drinking?" Sarah asked.</p>
<p>"Uh… whatever," Kate said, doubting the range behind the bar included anything that met her preferences.</p>
<p>She felt Sarah pull her back out to the bar where an order was placed and shortly after a cold beer was set in front of her. In not time at all, she was pulled back from where they came from, this time crossing the threshold into the brightly lit room. Inside were three other women - two of which Kate had become acquainted with the other night.</p>
<p>"Everyone, meet Kate, Kate meet everyone," Sarah introduced.</p>
<p>"We've already met," Peyton clarified, raising her hand in a wave.</p>
<p>"Same," Jessica smiled. "But only in face; I'm Jess."</p>
<p>"And since Sarah is shit at this, let me help you out: I'm Rory," said the third, lifting her hand from the far side of the room.</p>
<p>"How do you know them?" Sarah asked in obvious annoyance.</p>
<p>"Remember when you bailed last weekend?" Peyton shot back with a glare. "When you left me with <em>Alex</em> to lose at pool?"</p>
<p>"Oh… I hadn't made the connection. Ask Jess next time. She's the real shark," Sarah grinned, taking a seat next to Jess.</p>
<p>"Mm nope, we don't play together anymore," Jessica chimed in. "Not after…"</p>
<p>"Are you still sore about that?" Rory asked Peyton who was scowling in embarrassment. "It was one time."</p>
<p>"And they weren't even your worst set of panties," Jessica grinned.</p>
<p>"Strip pool," Sarah explained quickly. "But don't worry, it wasn't a group thing, if that's what you're thinking."</p>
<p>"I wasn't, but thanks for clarifying," Kate said, finding room next to Rory to sit. "Uh, so what, are you all fourth years?" Kate asked, trying to distinguish the faces from the blurred memories of the semester before. Even though Peyton and Jess were at the bar, that didn't confirm anything.</p>
<p>"Everyone but Sarah," Peyton said.</p>
<p>"Right, right, I knew that," Kate said, shaking her head at the mistake. "You're in the training sessions."</p>
<p>"That's where you came from before this, right?" Rory asked.</p>
<p>"Uh, yea," Kate said.</p>
<p>"You shower?" Jess asked, a smirk playing on her face.</p>
<p>"Y-yes… why?"</p>
<p>"Because your hair is frozen," Sarah chuckled, swiping her hands over the bristly tips.</p>
<p>"I can't imagine how you're doing it," Rory noted. "The hours are insane. Reyes has rewritten the levels of hell for you."</p>
<p>"It's not so bad. Sometimes I wish the cadets were a bit more…"</p>
<p>"Committed?" Peyton offered.</p>
<p>"Capable?" Jess interjected.</p>
<p>"Intelligent?" Rory added.</p>
<p>"I'm right here, you guys," Sarah scoffed, earning a round of laughter. "Beside, it's not my fault. I'm flat-foo-"</p>
<p>"Flat-footed, we know. You know who else is flat-footed? 25% of the population," Rory shot back.</p>
<p>"Peyton included," Jess added.</p>
<p>"And even so, it doesn't explain your piss-poor hand-eye coordination," Peyton said.</p>
<p>"Or your marksmanship," Kate chimed in. Sarah's face fell in defeat and betrayal as the other four broke into fits of laughter.</p>
<p>"But really, we're all impressed," Rory continued after a moment.</p>
<p>"We?"</p>
<p>"I'm in the scholars program. What I don't understand though, is how Reyes can make you do this. It isn't exactly in his jurisdiction to assign you this work. You aren't a scholar."</p>
<p>"Right," Kate said, "It… well it's a bit nuanced."</p>
<p>"We've got time," Rory replied.</p>
<p>"And booze," Jess added with a wink.</p>
<p>"in shin shorts offered a scholarship and turned down."</p>
<p>"You what?" Peyton gaped.</p>
<p>"I didn't need the money, and-"</p>
<p>"Is this where you tell us your parents are millionaires who have made all their money in unsanctioned weapons trades?" Jess asked.</p>
<p>"Oh, better yet, are you distantly related to the queen?" Sarah offered.</p>
<p>"Really, Sarah?"</p>
<p>"What? She looks regal enough to pull it off."</p>
<p>"Uh, no, no, uh, I mean… my family has money, but not for any of those reasons."</p>
<p>"Where are you from again?" Jess asked.</p>
<p>"Gotham."</p>
<p>"Kane, right?"</p>
<p>"Yes…" Kate admitted.</p>
<p>"Can I google you later?" Jess continued.</p>
<p>"I don't really think you need to ask permission," Kate replied, "but sure, knock yourself out."</p>
<p>"Already did," Rory chimed in, her nose in her phone. "Holy shit, you're loaded."</p>
<p>"How rich?" Sarah asked.</p>
<p>"You're a <em>billionaire</em>?" Rory gaped.</p>
<p>"Like with a 'b' or a 'm'?" Sarah pressed.</p>
<p>"Does it even matter once you hit the '-illionaire' status?" Jess asked.</p>
<p>"It's not all mine. That's the… the family net worth," Kate tried to explain lamely.</p>
<p>"Ok, so you could basically buy this school." Jess waved away, shooting Sarah a quick glare to quiet her. "But how are you still under Reyes' thumb? Is this because of last semester?"</p>
<p>"No, no… well… no, I don't think so," Kate said. "The argument he used is that even though I turned the offer down, the Academy - specifically Reyes - considers my status as still one of a scholar."</p>
<p>"Well that's some bullshit," Peyton said. "You're working ten times harder than any scholar <em>and</em> you're paying them to boot."</p>
<p>"It'll look good on my resume," Kate defended cryptically.</p>
<p>"Spoken like a rich ivy-league schoolgirl," Rory interjected.</p>
<p>"Be nice," Jess scowled.</p>
<p>"How'd you all find each other?" Kate asked, trying to reorient the conversation back toward something lighter.</p>
<p>Peyton let out a small chuckle. "The same way all lesbians find each other, obviously: once a year we gather in the woods for the annual discovery bonfire."</p>
<p>Kate shook her head more at herself than at Peyton's sardonic response.</p>
<p>"I didn't… I was mostly asking how you all managed to become… friends? Not that I'm against it or anything, but I've never known a monthly get together like this."</p>
<p>"We're kind of the unofficial LGBTQ group on campus," Jess clarified. "The friendship thing is pure coincidence; it helps that we're all pretty awesome in our own right, though," she added with a wink.</p>
<p>"And it's weekly," Peyton said.</p>
<p>"Weekly? These are weekly gatherings?" Kate asked in surprise.</p>
<p>"Attendance is mandatory to keep your position," Sarah smirked.</p>
<p>"Every week? No, no, I can't. I have-"</p>
<p>"Yea, yea, you have the plebes, studies, sleep, and that girl you're trying to get over," Peyton interrupted.</p>
<p>"Excuse me?" Kate choked on her beer, her cheeks erupting with shock. Sarah's unsolicited commentary had suggested enough for her to quickly deduce that she was in familiar company, but she wasn't prepared for this kind of conversation.</p>
<p>"Oh, sorry, was that off the mark? Is it the sleeping or the studies that were wrong?" Peyton teased.</p>
<p>"Be nice," Sarah chastised with a scowl of disapproval.</p>
<p>"Hey, you were the one who wouldn't shut up about it last term," Peyton retorted, surrendering responsibility.</p>
<p>"Last term?" Kate asked, relaxing slightly. If they thought she was secretly dating Chelsea, that would be easy enough to dismiss but if-</p>
<p>"Only because I wasn't here in the spring," Sarah remarked, reigniting Kate's worry. "Maybe if you had let me in the group earlier I could have gotten it out of my system sooner."</p>
<p>"Nope, no second years," Peyton interrupted.</p>
<p>"You made an exception for Kate," Sarah complained grumpily.</p>
<p>"Only because V couldn't keep it in her pants," Rory said, with a knowing look. The remaining members of the group tried but failed to conceal similar glances. "And I believe it was <em>you</em> who invited her here tonight," she continued, directing a scowl at Sarah.</p>
<p>"Uh, look, I can go," Kate said, beginning to feel a creeping sensation of discomfort.</p>
<p>"No, no, the seal has been broken. You're in," Rory said easily, overruling the conversation.</p>
<p>"Where is Nicky by the way?" Peyton interrupted.</p>
<p>"Ronnie had to finish up a paper. Said she'd be late," Jess clarified.</p>
<p>"She's missing out on all the fun," Rory replied.</p>
<p>"That's our Ver," Sarah added before they all broke into laughter.</p>
<p>"Sorry, who are we talking about? I thought V was the only one missing," Kate asked, trying to keep track of all the names.</p>
<p>"Yea, that's who we're talking about," Sarah explained as the laughter died.</p>
<p>When Kate's look of confusion didn't fade, Jess jumped into the story:</p>
<p>"Veronica, or <em>V</em> as she's so adorably told you, hates her name," she began. "So she's tries-"</p>
<p>"-and fails," Peyton interjected.</p>
<p>"-to introduce herself as V whenever she meets someone."</p>
<p>"<em>We</em> hated it," Rory added.</p>
<p>"So obviously we had to come up with our own alternates. There's Ronnie, Nicky, Nica-"</p>
<p>"-oh, don't forget Ver," Sarah added eagerly.</p>
<p>"-and Verona."</p>
<p>"Got it," Kate said, quickly catching on.</p>
<p>"Wait," Sarah said, her attention snapping back toward Kate. "You never answered my question."</p>
<p>"Sara<em>h</em>, drop it," Rory chimed in.</p>
<p>"What? No! This is my chance," Sarah pleaded of the group.</p>
<p>"What question?" Kate asked.</p>
<p>"Were you dating your roommate last semester?" Jess asked.</p>
<p>"I… no," Kate answered half truthfully.</p>
<p>"From last year," Sarah inserted. "You didn't ask it right."</p>
<p>"Now why would she have a different roommate if they were dating at the end of last year?" Jess asked. "They'd still be roommates this year. Only a moron would split that up."</p>
<p>Sarah shook her head. "Riley Thomas."</p>
<p>The two words were enough to kill Jess's counter argument as she stared back in surprise. "You mean-?"</p>
<p>"She came back in the fall and got assigned to Sophie Moore," Sarah explained.</p>
<p>"That name sounds familiar."</p>
<p>"Scholars program," Rory offered, and Jess nodded in understanding.</p>
<p>"Matt has a crush on her," Jess said.</p>
<p>"How do you know?" Rory asked in surprise.</p>
<p>"The boy wouldn't stop talking about her all fall. How do you not remember? I've never known anyone to be that infatuated with someone's organizational skills."</p>
<p>"So Sophie Moore? Was she your roommate?" Peyton asked, reorienting the conversation.</p>
<p>"Uh, first year, yea."</p>
<p>"Ok, same question but with Sarah's qualifier," Peyton said pointedly.</p>
<p>Kate considered denying everything, but the look of genuine curiosity of half the faces compelled her into honesty. "Yes."</p>
<p>"Ha! I knew it!" Sarah exclaimed in excited victory.</p>
<p>"Poor Matt. Someone should tell him she's playing for a different team."</p>
<p>"Not quite," Kate added. She was just as surprised as the rest of the group by her admission. This wasn't something she'd openly talked about since the end of last term, and now it felt like a distant memory coming back to her.</p>
<p>"So what? It was just an experiment, or…?" Jess asked.</p>
<p>"More of a self-fulfilling prophecy," Kate replied ambiguously.</p>
<p>"Meaning…"</p>
<p>"Meaning she likes the closet she lives in," Kate replied.</p>
<p>Kate froze, realizing what she'd just done. While it wasn't entirely truthful, the feeling of bitterness at Sophie's excuse was adding its own flavor to Kate's words. She cursed herself for this. It was one thing to carry Sophie's secret, but it was another thing entirely to tell it. That wasn't for her to do.</p>
<p>"Ouch," Peyton offered in apology. "And that, ladies, is why you should never pursue someone who isn't out."</p>
<p>"Too much drama," Jess added, nodding in agreement. "No woman is worth that. You're practically living two lives at that point."</p>
<p>Kate remained silent as the girls ping-ponged one remark after another highlighting all the reasons any relationship where a member was closeted was bound to end in failure.</p>
<p>"What's got everyone so rowdy?" came Veronica's voice from Kate's left. She handed her beer to Jess who tabled it while she slipped off her jacket and collapsed next to Peyton.</p>
<p>"Closeted relationships," Sarah explained. "There seems to be consensus around it."</p>
<p>"Oh?" Veronica asked, surveying the group as she reached for her beer.</p>
<p>"Would you do it?" Kate asked.</p>
<p>"Date someone in the closet?" Veronica asked, scanning faces for confirmation. "Yea, hell no. Wouldn't touch it with a ten yard pole."</p>
<p>Kate glanced around the rest who all nodded in continued agreement but couldn't help but catch a glance between Veronica and Jess, as though silently communicating something else entirely.</p>
<p>This mentality wasn't something Kate had ever had to contend with: Sophie was her first real relationship. Sure, she'd had other flings, but she never had to worry about the drama of it all once the sun rose and she could slip away, avoiding it entirely. When it came to Sophie, her being in the closet didn't seem like a deal breaker when they started. To Kate, it fell in line with the need to keep the relationship hidden because of school policy.</p>
<p>"Wait, but are any of you dating anyone?" Kate asked, suddenly struck by the potential contradiction of the group: how could they say they'd be unwilling to date someone who wasn't publicly out on a campus where being publicly out could literally end their careers.</p>
<p>"Jess and Peyton are together," Sarah said.</p>
<p>"And V hooks up with anything that breathes," Jess added. A scandalized look from Veronica caused the group to break into another round of laughter.</p>
<p>"I do not," she insisted.</p>
<p>"So which of us <em>haven't </em>you been with?" Peyton accused from next to her.</p>
<p>Kate smirked at this, feeling an odd familiarity in the razzing Veronica was receiving. This had been her in high school, after all.</p>
<p>"But how do you do it with the policy?" Kate asked, honing in on her real question.</p>
<p>Jess scoffed slightly. "It's not a real thing."</p>
<p>"Really?" Kate asked in surprise.</p>
<p>"Well, no, not entirely," Rory clarified. "It's technically a policy just like no underage is a policy, but hardly any of the staff enforces it. As long as you know who to avoid, most everyone just turns a blind eye."</p>
<p>"Seriously? But… but how do you know that?" Kate asked, feeling a lightness by Rory's explanation but still skeptical.</p>
<p>"Word of mouth from previous versions of ourselves. And some less than subtle proof," Peyton added with a slight blush and a knowing look at Jess.</p>
<p>"A good rule of thumb is to avoid anyone above Lieutenant status. Everyone below that is young enough to be pretty chill about it. Anyone above it is too old to follow anything but the commands from their superiors," Rory continued.</p>
<p>"That's not to say PDA is a greenlight, but it's not as serious as the actual military."</p>
<p>Kate nodded thoughtfully as she took a long sip of her own beer. There was something reassuring and bittersweet about learning this news. It certainly would have made her stress level a fraction of what they were the last two semesters.</p>
<p>"Noobs are fun," Sarah said with a laugh.</p>
<p>"You're one to talk. This was literally you three months ago, Sarah," Veronica shot back.</p>
<p>"Last call!" came a shout from behind the bar. Glances of affirmation confirmed they'd stay for a final round, and Peyton quickly jumped up to place the order.</p>
<p>"V, you good?"</p>
<p>"Yep, but I need a coffee break," Veronica chimed in through the commotion, climbing back up.</p>
<p>"You literally just got here," Jess chastised.</p>
<p>"And I thought you quit," Rory called through the group in annoyance.</p>
<p>Veronica waved away the criticism and pointed at Kate. "Join me?"</p>
<p>"For coffee?" Kate asked in confusion.</p>
<p>"Grab your jacket."</p>
<p>Kate complied and followed Veronica outside. She pulled her jacket around her to hide from the winter chill as Veronica pulled out a pack of cigarettes.</p>
<p>"Those'll kill you," Kate remarked.</p>
<p>"There are worse things to die from," Veronica replied indifferently as she slipped one between her lips. "So, what do you think?"</p>
<p>"About?"</p>
<p>"Our little crew," Veronica said, gesturing toward the fogged bar-front glass.</p>
<p>"Perhaps a little incestuous," Kate said, earning a smirk from Veronica. "But generally a good group."</p>
<p>"They're alright," Veronica muttered, inhaling to catch the flame from her lighter.</p>
<p>Kate found herself becoming more and more entranced by this character who had come seemingly out of nowhere and pushed her buttons in all the right ways. Kate would deny it, but she knew the last two months had led her down dark paths that were familiar and comforting. She'd spent the better part of her childhood navigating those same halls and knew them well. It was easier to close herself off and sit in her anger than risk getting hurt again.</p>
<p>Veronica intrigued her because she didn't suggest a want for those walls to come down. In fact, there was something familiar in how she played life like a game: engaged fully in the moment but never leaving anything lasting. It reflected the same pattern Kate had grown accustomed to and one she found herself regressing into.</p>
<p>"So you're a bit of a player," Kate said.</p>
<p>"Is that a problem?" Veronica asked.</p>
<p>"No," Kate said. "It's a nice reprieve."</p>
<p>"Not looking for anything serious either?"</p>
<p>Kate shook her head. "Nah. I think I had it right before," she said alluding to her time before Point Rock.</p>
<p>"That's because you're in the middle of a heartbreak," Veronica explained easily.</p>
<p>"It worked fine the first time," Kate said defensively.</p>
<p>"Did it though?" Veronica replied, glancing at Kate through the smoke of her cigarette.</p>
<p>"It's no different than you."</p>
<p>"Perhaps," Veronica said before taking another drag. "If you keep this up, your lone wolf status is going to be revoked," she said in reference to the evening.</p>
<p>"I don't think I'd mind if it means you hang up this metaphor."</p>
<p>"I'd say I've gotten a few miles out of this one."</p>
<p>"And I'd say it needs to retire."</p>
<p>"I suppose I could come up with something else," Veronica said thoughtfully. "How do you feel about Peter Piper?"</p>
<p>"I feel like I don't get the reference. What do I have to do with pickled peppers?"</p>
<p>"Pickled peppers? No, no, who's the one with the flock of rats?"</p>
<p>"The Pied Piper?"</p>
<p>"That's the one. You're the Pied Piper."</p>
<p>"You know he used his powers for bad, right?"</p>
<p>"He got rid of the rats," Veronica explained. "Rat leader, plebe leader; same difference."</p>
<p>"Until the town didn't pay him. Then he took the town people's children."</p>
<p>Veronica paused in thought, slowly exhaling her latest lung full of smoke. "I still think there's something there."</p>
<p>Kate let out a laugh. "I'm not going to help you with that one."</p>
<p>Veronica shrugged, sucking out the last of the tobacco before throwing it onto the ground and stomping it into the snow.</p>
<p>"It's a mischief, by the way."</p>
<p>"What is?" Veronica asked, her attention on the door.</p>
<p>"A group of rats. It's not a flock; it's a mischief."</p>
<p>"What a weird thing to know," Veronica said, pulling at the handle. "How many other weird things do you know?" she asked, stepping back inside the bar as Kate followed.</p>
<p>The last round lasted longer than Kate expected, but it became clear they knew the owner well and were given permission to linger while the rest of the drabby bar was cleaned. When they finally emerged into the cold night, everyone was eager to make quick work of their goodbyes and part for home. For the third and fourth years, it was nearby enough. One small privilege of being a senior cadet was off-campus dorms that included private rooms and beds fit for full-sized adults. For Kate, she had to trek back across campus, and the sidewalk was bright with a fresh layer of untouched snow to guide her way.</p>
<p>"Well, it's just you and me, noob."</p>
<p>Kate turned to see Veronica exiting the bar. She hadn't realized she wasn't with the group and wondered how intentional that move had been.</p>
<p>"What coincidence," Kate remarked and won a knowing grin from Veronica in response.</p>
<p>"Wanna take this somewhere more private?"</p>
<p>"I'd say yes," Kate said, remembering the week prior fondly, "but I have to be up early."</p>
<p>"Right, right. Reyes has you doing that… training thing," she said, waving her hand dismissively. "That's a shame."</p>
<p>"You don't take me for a planner."</p>
<p>"Good intuition. I feel like there's a 'but' though."</p>
<p>"Good intuition," Kate smirked back. "<em>But</em> if you feel like planning, I'm free Friday."</p>
<p>"We'll see how the winds are blowing," Veronica said. "See you around, lone wolf."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"What are you doing here?" Kate asked, surprised to see Melvin standing on the sidelines of the group she was just about to start a training session with. They were first years and, while definitely not the rowdiest of the bunch, Kate had her work cut out for her. "Don't tell me I'm supposed to train you, too."</p>
<p>"Sort of…" Melvin said with a small smirk.</p>
<p>"You're kidding me," Kate said with a sigh.</p>
<p>"Haven't you heard? I'm on scholarship which means I need to start pulling my weight around here."</p>
<p>"Wait, you mean…?"</p>
<p>"I'm your new assistant!" he said, breaking into his signature full-faced boyish grin.</p>
<p>"That is… how did that happen?"</p>
<p>"I spoke with Reyes and he agreed to let me help."</p>
<p>"Wait, you asked Reyes to help me?"</p>
<p>"Yea… I figured you could use the help and since I'm not actually doing anything for the scholars program, I thought I could contribute here. Plus Reyes said if I'm decent and get your sign-off, I could run some of the sessions without you. You know, lighten your load a bit."</p>
<p>Kate's expression was unreadable, and for a moment Melvin was worried he'd just overstepped and was about to get the full force of Kate's anger again. Instead he watched as she seemed to struggle with her words.</p>
<p>"But if that's not cool with you, I can talk to Reyes and do something else-"</p>
<p>"No, no," Kate said, shaking her head. "I'm just… surprised, I think?"</p>
<p>"What can I say, I leave all the ladies speechless," he said with a wink.</p>
<p>"Hardly," Kate replied with a skeptical voice. "Thank you, though. It'll be nice to have you around."</p>
<p>"You can thank me by showing me how to get these plebes in line," he said with a joking tone of self-importance.</p>
<p>"When I figure that out you'll be the first to know," Kate smirked before turning her attention to the loitering bunch of cadets. "First we've got to knock them down a peg or two."</p>
<p>"How do we do that?"</p>
<p>"I was thinking a 10k run would be a good start."</p>
<p>"A good <em>start</em>?" Melvin gaped.</p>
<p>"And you get to tell them," Kate said, resting her hand on his shoulder as he audibly gulped at the task.</p>
<p>
  <strong>xx</strong>
</p>
<p>"The new guy sucks," Sarah said through heavy gasps as the other cadets breathlessly made their way to the locker room.</p>
<p>Kate chuckled as Sarah struggled to stand upright, winded from the final sprints of the day. They'd been working together less than a week and Kate was impressed by how well Melvin had picked up on the tone required to keep the cadets in check, albeit perhaps a little too well. On more than one occasion she found herself reining in his more severe tone for something more supportive.</p>
<p>
  <em>"This isn't meant to be punishment," she muttered after a particularly harsh confrontation between Melvin and a third year.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Was I too harsh?"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"If it were the 1860s and your name was Inspector Jalvert I might say no, but… you're Melvin Bennett, second year at Point Rock so… yea, a smidge."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"I don't get the reference but I get the point," Melvin said with a smirk.</em>
</p>
<p>"Any chance we can get you back in the driver's seat?" Sarah continued, unsatisfied by Kate's lack of response.</p>
<p>"Maybe once he's trained up."</p>
<p>"How long will that take?" Sarah whined.</p>
<p>"I don't know. How long has it taken you?" Kate smirked back. "You've had how many weeks of this again?"</p>
<p>"Ugh, you suck, too," Sarah said, waving her off as she marched toward the lockers. "See you Tuesday."</p>
<hr/>
<p>"We're done."</p>
<p>"Wait."</p>
<p>"No."</p>
<p>"One more," Sophie asked, lifting herself from the mat.</p>
<p>"Sophie, I'm not-"</p>
<p>"Just one," Sophie challenged. "It's not ten yet."</p>
<p>"It's 9:59," Kate said unamused.</p>
<p>"And we go till 10."</p>
<p>Kate looked like she might say no before sighing, shaking her head in disgruntlement. "Fine."</p>
<p>Sophie wasn't getting lightyears better, but she didn't think she was getting any worse either. One catastrophic flaw she'd yet to discover was that she was her own worst enemy, and that had stagnated her growth over the last two weeks. Her natural tendency to overthink and need to be right only fed her already growing frustration. The overthinking left her caught up in her own head which made her an easy target for Kate. Fortunately, her need to be right was what was improving her response time as Rachel session wore on. After enough knockdowns, the slow ebb of anger from constantly failing would fuel her, and while her moves were less precise and more erratic, her mind was also clouded, making her strikes surprisingly faster and more intuitive.</p>
<p>This was the mode she was operating at when 9:59 rolled around. It had been a particular brutal session, with Kate giving no room for mistakes.</p>
<p>Sophie didn't wait for Kate to strike first, letting her frustrations take the lead as she stepped in with the first swipe. She watched as Kate sidestepped it. Feeling Kate's counter coming, she shifted to dodge before she could let herself think twice. This caused her to fall back on her heels and grant a broader perspective into Kate's next actions. Kate was clearly looking for a quick knockdown to end the evening, and it made her moves less efficient and more obvious. Her follow-up move was to shift toward Sophie, reaching to catch the closest of her two wrists. Sophie anticipated this and let it happen, feeling Kate's fingers grip firmly around it before she twisted away, taking the delayed release from Kate to pull her momentum off balance. Sophie stopped half a turn and let the elbow of her free arm swing and land hard into Kate. Kate's grip finally loosened in surprise, and Sophie took the chance to complete her turn and send her free hand swing toward her target. The hit took them both by surprise. Sophie's palm stung as it pulled away, leaving a fresh cut on Kate's lip.</p>
<p>They both paused as Kate took a step back, wiping the back of her hand against her mouth and looking down as the streak of blood that went with it. Sophie was just as equally stunned, unable to take her eyes off the red stain.</p>
<p>"Kate, I'm sorry, I-"</p>
<p>"Good," Kate said, rubbing her hand against her shirt. "Again."</p>
<p>It was another fifteen minutes of back and forth before the session ended. Sophie never managed to best Kate but came close on one occasion. Unfortunately the surprise of striking Kate returned Sophie's fighting to its pragmatic form of overthinking, worried that she'd strike with too much force. It was only during this that Sophie realized the level of restraint Kate had in her own moves to avoid injury the way she had just negligently done to Kate. This sparked another curiosity about just how much Kate was holding back in their sessions.</p>
<p>They were both winded when Kate realized the time and put an end to the session. For a moment Sophie thought Kate might say more as she turned to leave toward the locker room but was met with the same calculated "We're done" that had ended all of their previous sessions.</p>
<p>Sophie lingered a few minutes behind Kate, taking care to put back the pads she never wore. It was a defensive mechanism she'd adopted to avoid any accidental run-ins or looks of continued indifference from her ex. It was just another form of rejection she hadn't gotten used to no matter how much she told herself she deserved it.</p>
<p>When she finally entered the locker room and located her gear, she was struck by the dumb happenstance that she'd chosen the same row of lockers as Kate. Kate's belongings were strewn about over the bench that divided the rows of lockers. The lack of Kate and the sound of running water were clear signs she'd collected what she needed before departing for the showers to rinse off the hours of sweat and grime that had accumulated on her.</p>
<p>Sophie quickly changed, excusing the hastiness on her plan to shower back at the dorms. This reasoning was quickly ridiculed by the little voice in her head calling her out for being intimidated by Kate. She ignored this, shedding her workout gear for the warmer layers she'd worn to the gym. It was record timing, and she managed to shove her gym clothes into her bag just as the water turned off from the adjacent room.</p>
<p>Sophie felt herself exhale after what felt like eons as she grabbed her jacket and made for the door, letting her imagination of running into Kate terrify her into darting faster than she normally would. It was when her hand landed on the door's bar that she paused, hearing Kate's feet pad across the tile. She took a slow, shaky breath, trying to stifle the nervousness she felt grow inside her as she turned back toward the changing space.</p>
<p>This wasn't an uncommon feeling, but she only felt this kind of insecurity when it came to grades and authority figures. It was an irrational feeling to have these reactions around Kate, but they had become the new norm because their relationship was built around new norms. She appreciated the fact that their sessions required such physical investment and wasn't something more muted like tutoring, otherwise Sophie may have just accepted the grade deduction in Tactics to avoid the situation.</p>
<p>She heard Kate a few rows down, and took another steadying breath before retracing her steps back in that direction. Without risking a second thought she popped her head around the side:</p>
<p>"Hey, sorry again-"</p>
<p>Kate jumped in surprise at Sophie's voice behind her, dropping her fresh shirt onto the wet locker room tile. "What?"</p>
<p>"The… I'm sorry for earlier - I didn't mean to-"</p>
<p>"It's fine," Kate said, lifting the now wet tee from the floor with a sigh.</p>
<p>"And for that…" Sophie offered about the wet shirt, her eyes glancing toward Kate's underdressed torso. Kate had always been fit, but the semester had accentuated that. She hesitated, letting her eyes linger a moment longer when she caught sight of something that caused her to forget all forms of subtlety and gape in shock. "Did… wh-did you get...?"</p>
<p>"What?" Kate asked with unrestrained impatience.</p>
<p>"Did you get a tattoo?" Sophie asked, pointing to the exposed patch of skin on the left side of her ribcage layered in new ink that fed up and under the band of her sports bra.</p>
<p>"Yea," Kate said simply, pulling on the half-wet shirt.</p>
<p>"Wh… when did you get it?"</p>
<p>The question was met with silence as Sophie watched Kate quickly shove her remaining belongings in a duffle and turn to leave the long way to avoid Sophie standing in her path.</p>
<p>"What is it?" Sophie blurted out, motivated by nothing but blatant curiosity and shock.</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"The tattoo."</p>
<p>"Good night, Sophie."</p>
<hr/>
<p>"You're surprisingly kissable."</p>
<p>"Surprisingly? I didn't realize that was in doubt."</p>
<p>"You <em>look</em> plenty kissable. But you have a 'down to business' vibe that had me wondering. I was a little worried that first night was a fluke," Veronica explained. "Nice war wound by the way."</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"I meant to say something earlier but… well, you gave me a reason not to," she smirked, lifting her hand to Kate's mouth and grazing her thumb over the day-old cut. "I'm surprised one of those cadets got the better of you," she continued.</p>
<p>"I was distracted," Kate answered easily. It wasn't a lie; every session she'd had with Sophie had been one giant distraction. She was constantly fighting to stay focused and attentive. Between her ever evolving and devolving feelings toward Sophie and Sophie's neverending attempts to engage in something other than sparring, it was a miracle she'd only just gotten her first mark.</p>
<p>A seed of anger had been planted months ago when Sophie broke up with her. It grew when Sophie was unwilling to reconsider a week later, and it blossomed when Sophie went behind her back to sideline Riley's plan to get her expelled at the end of term. She'd iced that ire over winter break, trying to ignore it but it reignited at the beginning of term. There were moments she felt irrational holding onto this kind of fury. A piece of her had been taken in their break-up, and she had only felt that absence one other time in her life: it reminded her of the years that followed Beth's death.</p>
<p>"You don't seem like someone easily distracted."</p>
<p>"Your flattery is a bit belated," Kate said, putting aside her thoughts as her fingers traced over Veronica's skin to fall at her waist. "Unless you're looking for round two."</p>
<p>"And three and four," she replied, pulling Kate's lips to her.</p>
<p>"You'll need to up your game then, Nicky," Kate challenged back before meeting Veronica's lips with her own.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Hey, I dropped by your room last night," Melvin said once they'd released the cadets for the afternoon.</p>
<p>"Oh, I was out," Kate explained easily.</p>
<p>"Yea, that's what Chelsea said."</p>
<p>"Oh, ok. Did you need something or…?"</p>
<p>"I ran into her this morning, too. She said you didn't come back."</p>
<p>"So?"</p>
<p>"She also said this wasn't the first time."</p>
<p>"She also sleeps in and I'm out by eight most mornings," Kate added dryly.</p>
<p>"So you weren't out all night?"</p>
<p>"I didn't say that."</p>
<p>"Is something going on?" Melvin asked, his line of questioning nearing his actual intent.</p>
<p>"No, why?" Kate asked, turning her attention to the abandoned gear littering the gym floor.</p>
<p>"Where were you?"</p>
<p>"Does it matter?" Kate asked, with an edge of frustration.</p>
<p>"I just want to make sure you're ok," Melvin clarified, backing off slightly.</p>
<p>"I'm fine, Melvin."</p>
<p>"I… well, honestly I'm also a tiny bit jealous," he admitted.</p>
<p>"What?" Kate said, her frustration dissolving into confusion.</p>
<p>"I heard you're hanging out with third and fourth years."</p>
<p>"Did you want to hang out with them?"</p>
<p>"Oh, no… I… I want to hang out with <em>you</em>," Melvin confessed.</p>
<p>Kate paused in surprise before a small smile broke over her face. "Aww," she said dopily, "you miss me?"</p>
<p>"Don't do that."</p>
<p>"You do. Melvin Bennett misses me."</p>
<p>"I take it back. I take the whole thing back."</p>
<p>"I'm flattered."</p>
<p>"You're making it worse. Honestly until I started helping with all of this I assumed you were intentionally avoiding me all semester. Now I understand all the absence."</p>
<p>"I wasn't <em>not</em> avoiding you," Kate admitted. "Having all of this allowed it to come naturally though."</p>
<p>"So was it me or Sophie you were actually trying to avoid?"</p>
<p>"What are you doing tonight?" Kate asked, ignoring Melvin's question.</p>
<p>"The usual, I suppose. Wilfred, probably."</p>
<p>"Want to go somewhere new?"</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Hey, ready?" Sophie asked from the hallway side of room 409.</p>
<p>"For…?" Melvin asked, staring blankly back.</p>
<p>"We were going to go over interview questions tonight," Sophie said cautiously.</p>
<p>"Shit, I completely forgot."</p>
<p>"Oh, that's ok. Are you still free to help or…?"</p>
<p>"I'm sort of… uh, Kate kind of asked me to… I- I was sort of planning on hanging out with Kate tonight," Melvin said in apology.</p>
<p>"Oh," Sophie said, trying to recover from the shock of Melvin's words. "Right, sure, sure."</p>
<p>"She asked and I… I can cancel though-"</p>
<p>"What? No, no, don't do that," Sophie said quickly, ignoring the pang of jealousy she felt at Melvin's plans.</p>
<p>"Are you sure? It's fine. I told you I would help before Kate asked. You've got dibs."</p>
<p>"Melvin, go hang out with Kate," Sophie insisted. "I know it's been eating at you."</p>
<p>"I'm sorry," Melvin said genuinely. "I know that… I'm sorry."</p>
<p>"If you apologize again I'm going to make you practice twice as much with me," Sophie challenged, earning a small grin from Melvin.</p>
<p>"I'll pencil you in for tomorrow morning."</p>
<p>"Afternoon," Sophie corrected. "If you're going out with Kate, I have no expectations you'll be coherent for anything before two."</p>
<p>"Thanks babe."</p>
<p>"Stop that," Sophie scowled. "I broke up with you, remember?"</p>
<p>"Yea, but a guy can wish, can't he?" he offered lightly.</p>
<p>"Mhm," Sophie chuckled, turning back toward her own room before pausing. She looked down the hall before glancing back at Melvin who was already hearing the question on the tip of her tongue.</p>
<p>"How is she?"</p>
<p>"Good. Fine, I think," he replied simply. "Honestly we don't talk a lot outside of the training sessions."</p>
<p>"Sure, yea."</p>
<p>"I… I'll let you know tomorrow."</p>
<p>"That would be… thank you."</p>
<hr/>
<p>"How is she?" Kate asked with as much casualness as she could muster.</p>
<p>They'd been at the bar all of thirty minutes before they found their way to an empty pool table. Kate hadn't meant to ask about Sophie, but a lull had come up when Melvin accidentally dropped her name, and she figured addressing the elephant sooner than later would be best.</p>
<p>"You mean outside of the weekly ass-kicking you've been giving her?" Melvin asked with a smirk. When Kate didn't bite, his response sobered. "She's… better. Honestly most days I'm not sure," Melvin confessed. He was quickly realizing how much different the semester had been compared to others: Sophie and Kate had been such a significant part of his everyday life previous terms that the sudden absence of it left him unable to answer even the simplest of questions.</p>
<p>Kate nodded in understanding but remained silent.</p>
<p>"She has her next round of interviews for Wayne Tech next week," Melvin offered, surveying Kate for a sign of interest as she eyed the table for her next move.</p>
<p>"How's Monica?" Kate asked, bypassing this comment and circling around to get behind the cue ball.</p>
<p>"Oh, she's really good, actually. She's been responding well to the trial and got approved for a second round of treatment."</p>
<p>"That's great news, man," Kate said, looking up with a genuine smile on her face before striking the ball and watching it ricochet off the edge and into the red. A moment later the ball fell into the pocket with a clank.</p>
<p>"You sure you've only played a few times?" Melvin asked suspiciously. "Because I saw you at the end of term, and you were not this good."</p>
<p>"That's because she wasn't betting then. She's unusually good when there's paper on the table," a voice from their left chimed in.</p>
<p>"We aren't betting this time, Tim," Kate explained to the newcomer.</p>
<p>"Who's the fresh blood?" Tim asked with a smile.</p>
<p>"It's Melvin," Melvin said lightly. "And you guys typically bet?"</p>
<p>A moment of silence fell as Kate lined up her next shot and pocketed the seven with ease.</p>
<p>"It's not anything big," Kate explained.</p>
<p>"Just something to keep it interesting," Tim added.</p>
<p>"For like, money, or...?"</p>
<p>"No, no, that's boring," Tim waved off.</p>
<p>"Tim likes games. And catching people off guard."</p>
<p>"Meaning…?"</p>
<p>"Here, re-rack and you can do this properly," Tim said, pulling the triangular frame from the wall.</p>
<p>"But I'm winning," Kate protested.</p>
<p>"That would be a first," Alex teased from behind Tim.</p>
<p>Introductions were made as Kate begrudgingly set the table. Once done she rejoined the growing group of cadets who were advising Melvin on the nuances of Tim's betting scheme.</p>
<p>"So it's simple enough. You both get a slip of paper and write down what you get if you win," Tim explained.</p>
<p>"What?" Melvin asked, perplexed by the idea.</p>
<p>"Within reason," Alex clarified.</p>
<p>"And it has to be something that can be given immediately otherwise it's less fun for the popcorn crowd. There's also a $10 limit."</p>
<p>"So it <em>is</em> a monetary thing?"</p>
<p>"Not always. Last weekend Tim lost and had to go outside and shout 'I love Taylor Swift' three times," Kate chuckled.</p>
<p>"But there are rules: nothing that breaks the law, nothing that causes injury, and no sexual favors."</p>
<p>"Interesting," Melvin said, beginning to understand.</p>
<p>"So, take a minute, right it down, and give them to me. I'll read them to ensure all items comply with betting rules and then they'll remain hidden until after the winner is declared," Tim said, handing each a napkin and tiny pencil.</p>
<p>Kate quickly jotted hers down and passed it back to Tim. Melvin, on the other hand, seemed lost to the world of possibility.</p>
<p>"Just write down whatever comes to mind," Kate rushed.</p>
<p>"I'm thinking."</p>
<p>"You're not going to win anyway," Kate teased.</p>
<p>"You don't know that," he shot back.</p>
<p>It took another minute and two fresh napkins before he settled on what to bet for. It took only nine more for him to lose. By the tenth minute, Kate was squaring up her final shot and easily sank the eight ball into the far left pocket.</p>
<p>There was a small cheer from the nearby observers as Tim made a show of pulling out the folded napkins.</p>
<p>"Normally this is the exciting part, but Kate tends to be quite dense when it comes to creative things," Tim remarked lightly, earning a small scowl of disapproval from Kate. "Melvin, you owe Kate a beer."</p>
<p>"That's what you wrote?" Melvin asked in surprise. "You could have had <em>anything</em> and you asked for a beer."</p>
<p>"Only because Tim said sexual favors were off the table," Kate said lightly. "Draft, please."</p>
<p>Melvin walked away with a scowl which was more out of disappointment at her lame request than over having to buy her the drink.</p>
<p>"Who's the new guy?"</p>
<p>"Melvin," Kate said, turning to see Veronica leaning casually against the table behind her. She'd arrived halfway through the game and silently sidled up to the group of onlookers.</p>
<p>"Second year?"</p>
<p>Kate nodded.</p>
<p>"Is he cool?"</p>
<p>"He would say yes," Kate replied, earning a light chuckle from Veronica.</p>
<p>"Seems like he's team Sophie," she said.</p>
<p>"What?" Kate scowled, her mood from moments earlier souring at the mention of her ex. She watched as Veronica waved the folded napkin clutched in her fingers.</p>
<p>"Wanna see?"</p>
<p>"No," Kate replied resolutely.</p>
<p>"You sure? It's pretty juicy," Veronica teased again, waving it in front of Kate's eyes.</p>
<p>"You're a sadist."</p>
<p>"Maybe, but you're a masochist, so it works out," Veronica grinned. "Speaking of, I assume you'll be going home with lover boy tonight."</p>
<p>"Unless some third year catches his eye and doesn't immediately reject him."</p>
<p>"I could see if Sarah is free," Veronica offered lightly. "She owes me a favor anyway."</p>
<p>"You're kidding."</p>
<p>"Only half. I'll admit I had my hopes up you'd be here tonight."</p>
<p>"I'm flattered."</p>
<p>"And I'm horny."</p>
<p>"You could see if Sarah is free," Kate winked.</p>
<p>"She's not as fun," Veronica sighed as though she'd already considered the option.</p>
<p>"She'd be upset to hear you say that."</p>
<p>"Oh, she already knows," Veronica waved off dismissively. "She's all about intimacy and cuddling and that post coital bliss. The youths these days."</p>
<p>"You look good for your age," Kate remarked dryly.</p>
<p>"What?" Veronica replied confusedly.</p>
<p>"You played the Tin Man, right? That was what… over 70 years ago-? Ow, hey!" Kate laughed at the punch that landed on her arm.</p>
<p>"Rematch?" Melvin asked, holding the beer out for Kate with a questioning gaze alternating between Kate and Veronica.</p>
<p>"Nope, winner stays while the loser goes off to lick his wounds," Tim offered apologetically.</p>
<p>"I resign," Kate said.</p>
<p>"What? No, you've gotta stay!" Melvin practically shouted.</p>
<p>"Yea, you can't just walk away," Veronica chimed in with a cheesy grin.</p>
<p>"Fine, but then we're doing doubles."</p>
<p>"Guys vs girls?" Tim offered. "Me and Alex vs you and V?"</p>
<p>"Works for me," Veronica said, tossing in her imaginary hat. "But Kate surrenders betting privileges."</p>
<p>"Fine by me," Kate said.</p>
<p>"You boys better bring your A game," Veronica said, practically cackling in delight.</p>
<p>"Please don't say it-" Alex pleaded.</p>
<p>"-I swear to God Ver, if you-" Tim chimed in.</p>
<p>"Because I'm gonna bring my V game," Veronica grinned, earning a round of groans.</p>
<p>
  <strong>xx</strong>
</p>
<p>"I get why you hang out with them," Melvin remarked as they stumbled their way back to the dormitory. "They're all really great."</p>
<p>"They're alright," Kate said. She glanced over at Melvin who was mesmerized by the seven digits written in blue ballpoint pen on his hand. She smirked, shaking her head in amusement. "You know she's gay, right?"</p>
<p>"What? Who?" Melvin asked, looking up in surprise as he let his hand fall guiltily to his side.</p>
<p>"Sarah," Kate smirked.</p>
<p>"What? Are you serious?" Melvin gaped.</p>
<p>Kate laughed. "She's pissed you're so hard on the cadets during the training sessions."</p>
<p>"No… she… but… but we made out," Melvin said in obvious disappointment.</p>
<p>Kate shrugged, "maybe you wooed her with that Bennett charm…" she said, trailing off as Melvin moaned in defeat.</p>
<p>"I feel so used," Melvin sighed. "How is it I only ever wind up with the gay ones?"</p>
<p>"Could be worse," Kate grinned, "you could wind up with no one."</p>
<p>"Poor James," Melvin replied, shaking his head in mock sympathy.</p>
<p>"Yea, except James has actually <em>had</em> a real girlfriend," Kate laughed.</p>
<p>"Ugh, I'm already a wounded animal. Why would you go and bring that up?"</p>
<p>Their banter lasted the rest of the walk back, fading into silence as they neared the main entrance.</p>
<p>"You ever think of hanging out here anymore?" Melvin asked cautiously as they waited for an elevator in the lobby. After the night out, it was clear that being off campus away from the dorms had its appeal, especially for Kate. Given how the previous semester had ended, he knew there was a resentment living inside her from all the memories the walls contained, but he also held out hope that it would fade with time. She'd yet to return to 409 all term, and it was an absence he was still coming to terms with.</p>
<p>"I don't know," Kate replied honestly. They were six weeks into the fifteen week term, but Kate didn't feel like the necessary time had elapsed to genuinely consider that.</p>
<p>The elevator doors opened and the two ushered themselves into the small box. Melvin pressed '4' and the doors slid shut. There was a beat of silence before the elevator began to move and Kate spoke again:</p>
<p>"Tell her to be herself. It's cliche but true: Bruce picked her for her wit and ability to think on the fly. Her intuition is good. If she over prepares she won't respond with that; it works for things like exams and papers, but this isn't school."</p>
<p>Melvin nodded, swallowing his surprise and remaining silent as Kate continued to stare at the closed elevator doors, the hum of its mechanism driving them higher.</p>
<p>"Knowing her she's read every damn scientific paper Wayne Tech has published in the last five years: it's good but won't impress them. They already know their own accomplishments and don't like being pandered to. She needs to spend more time talking about herself."</p>
<p>Melvin stayed quiet again as the tiny box climbed past the third floor.</p>
<p>"They'll also probably ask her about her future plans. Make sure her answer is about the private sector. Even if it's not true, they won't move her forward if her intentions are to stay in the military. Bruce doesn't necessarily care, but the board tries to avoid fraternizing with the military outside of their contracts."</p>
<p>The elevator slowed, the doors opened to the fourth floor lobby, and just like that, it was over. Kate stepped forward to leave when Mevlin found his voice.</p>
<p>"It's going to mean a lot to her that you said this."</p>
<p>"What? No, no you didn't get any of this from me," Kate said.</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"You heard me."</p>
<p>"Yea, but what if-"</p>
<p>"Melvin," Kate interrupted, "this stays between us."</p>
<p>"She's not an idiot. She's going to know it was from you."</p>
<p>"That doesn't mean you admit to it."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Did Kate tell you this?"</p>
<p>"What? No... why?"</p>
<p>"No offense, but it's too on point."</p>
<p>"I happen to be very astute to these kinds of things," Melvin scowled.</p>
<p>Sophie's eyes narrowed in skepticism.</p>
<p>"She told you not to tell me," she said after a moment.</p>
<p>Melvin stared off, struggling to find the words that toed the line without breaking his word to Kate.</p>
<p>"It's ok. Your silence is louder than whatever nonsense you're about to spew," Sophie said with an attempt at indifference. The truth was that Sophie felt like a silly schoolgirl with a crush. Inwardly she was gushing as though she'd accidentally bumped into her crush in the school yard and found out she knew her name. It was enough to stir a hope in Sophie that had waned in recent weeks.</p>
<p>Over the last thirty minutes of interview preparation, Melvin had attempted to slyly insert suggestions to better position herself during the interview, but she could immediately tell they weren't his own words. It wasn't that she doubted Melvin's intelligence, it was that he wasn't remotely interested in any of this preparation work and didn't have the faintest clue about how to study for it. She'd spent this time trying to fight off the temptations of thinking too much into it, but a tiny part of her couldn't suppress the giddiness at the fact Kate had given her advice through Melvin. That Melvin wasn't able to immediately deny it only made fighting this more difficult. It was a small step but one that gave her a reassurance, as trivial and minor as it might be, that Kate's feelings hadn't completely dissipated.</p>
<p>"Soph?"</p>
<p>"It's Sophie," Sophie said, shaking herself back to reality.</p>
<p>"Well I tried that, but you were all googly-eyed over there," Melvin smirked before his face fell slightly.</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"Um, there's something else," Melvin began. "And I'm only saying this because I see that signature Sophie Moore smile of yours and know what's causing it, and I just… look, we haven't really talked about it; you and Kate, I mean."</p>
<p>"What? Melvin I've told you what happened."</p>
<p>"I know, but, well, we haven't talked about your feelings since."</p>
<p>"You want to talk about my feelings?" Sophie asked, an amused grin on her face.</p>
<p>"I just don't want you to get your hopes up."</p>
<p>"What do you mean?" Sophie asked, her grin fading slightly as Melvin wore worry.</p>
<p>"I think…" Melvin sighed, struggling to share his suspicions from the night before. "I think she might be seeing someone."</p>
<p>"Oh."</p>
<p>That piece of information hit Sophie harder than she expected. A part of her forced a shrug back at Melvin feigning indifference, but a larger part felt like a piece of her had just been snatched away.</p>
<p>It was such a selfish reaction to be sad, but it didn't stop the pang of it from coming. She'd made her bed at the end of last term. She'd told Kate 'no'. It wasn't the other way around. Sophie knew she had no right to question what Kate's personal life was after that, but that didn't stop the tiny 'what if' from whispering in her ear: what if they hadn't broken up?</p>
<p>"Do… do you know who?" Sophie asked, daring Melvin to tell her.</p>
<p>"Sophie," Melvin began, knowing any information would be worse than none at all. "Do you really want to know?"</p>
<p>"I don't know," she replied honestly, feeling the sharp tightness from a moment earlier return at full force. "Does…" Sophie began again before losing her voice to cover it from cracking. "Does she seem happy? At least tell me that much."</p>
<p>Melvin could only stare back, his eyes turned in sadness. Sophie nodded at his silent answer, refocusing her attention back to the practice questions. "Good," she said just above a whisper. "That's good."</p>
<p>"Sophie, I-"</p>
<p>"It's fine. It's… it'd be silly to - to think…" Sophie's voice faded to fight back the quiver threatening to reveal her emotions.</p>
<p>"What if you just told her?" Melvin asked, voicing what Sophie wouldn't.</p>
<p>"We should really get back to this," Sophie replied, her tone unconvincing, but Melvin took the hint.</p>
<p>"Sure."</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Are you Sophie?"</p>
<p>"I… yes?" Sophie said, startled by the interruption. She glanced up to identify the voice and instead found a stranger staring back at her. She scanned the girl for clarity, but instead watched her settle into the seat across from her as though they were scheduled to meet. Melvin had left her less than an hour earlier, and her focus had returned to the coursework she'd been neglecting in order to prepare for the upcoming interview.</p>
<p>"I figured," the girl said. "Bookish, attractive, alone at the library…"</p>
<p>"I'm also one of maybe eight black women on campus," Sophie offered. "So your odds were pretty good."</p>
<p>"Fun fact: I did not know this about you, but it does explain some of the cryptic descriptions I got when I started asking around," the girl replied casually, recalling the circuitous route to this lone table nested in the delves of the library's third floor.</p>
<p>"Sorry, how… who are you?"</p>
<p>"I'm V."</p>
<p>"Like the letter?" Sophie asked, still trying to place this person.</p>
<p>"You know your alphabet, too," Veronica mused lightly causing a scowl to fix itself to Sophie's brow.</p>
<p>"Uhm, look if this is about the spring symposium, I already told Lieuten-"</p>
<p>"It's not."</p>
<p>"Oh. Uh… ok? What is this about?"</p>
<p>"Kate."</p>
<p>Sophie blanched. "What about her?"</p>
<p>"You fucked that up a bit."</p>
<p>"Excuse me?"</p>
<p>"But it's not too late to fix it."</p>
<p>"Fix… fix what?" Sophie asked, getting a sinking suspicion that this V knew more on the topic than she was comfortable with.</p>
<p>"I'd come out and say it, but I hear that's not your thing," Veronica said casually.</p>
<p>Sophie flinched at the jab. As Veronica's words sank in, she felt strangely disoriented, a surge of hurt and anger swelling inside of her as she tried to get her bearings. She didn't know who this V person was, but it was obvious that Kate did. More than that, there was a good chance she'd gone ahead and shared intimate and private details with her. Following this swell of emotions came the nausea of paranoia: if Kate was telling this stranger about their relationship, who's to say word wouldn't get back to a superior officer. It was this combination of emotions that churned inside her as Veronica surveyed her before continuing.</p>
<p>"Too harsh?" Veronica asked, noting the embodiment of discomfort fidgeting across the table.</p>
<p>"No, just… surprising to hear it from someone I've never met before," Sophie replied, trying to maintain an even tone as anxiety crippled her ability to think. "I'm not sure what she told you, but-"</p>
<p>"Very little, actually. It's more in what she doesn't say that makes it pretty apparent."</p>
<p>"Meaning?" Sophie asked. There was a flash of anger in her reaction, but mostly it was in search of confirmation that perhaps Kate hadn't betrayed her greatest secret - that maybe she hadn't run and shared the very thing that had motivated their breaking up in the first place. Instead of reassurance, Veronica took the conversation down a different path.</p>
<p>"Let's just say I've got something in common with Kate, and once that much was clear, it didn't take a genius to see what's behind that finely crafted facade of hers."</p>
<p>"That doesn't make anything any clearer," Sophie said, fighting the urge to get up and walk away. "And frankly, I'm not really interested in hearing what you have to say. Whatever Kate has said is her prerogative, but leave me out of it."</p>
<p>"Oh, I see. You think she outed you," Veronica said in understanding. "Relax, it wasn't her. No one is ever as subtle as they think. That and people talk," Veronica smirked.</p>
<p>"Fine," Sophie said, trying to hide the surprise of Veronica's latest remark. While there was the tiniest bit of solace in hearing Kate wasn't the villain in this, it didn't relax her to think that some of her peers had put two and two together. "But look, I don't know who you are or what you think Kate has going on, but I can't fix it. So whatever your… motivation is for being here? It's pointless."</p>
<p>"Can't fix it or won't fix it?" Veronica asked, honing in on Sophie's choice of words. Sophie hesitated again at her tone, noting it wasn't accusatory. Instead it sounded genuine, like the balance of this conversation teetered on knowing the difference.</p>
<p>"How do you know Kate?"</p>
<p>"Do you always deflect when you're uncomfortable?"</p>
<p>"No, it's a habit I picked up from our mutual friend," Sophie answered easily for the first time.</p>
<p>"Oh, that was good. You're fun. It's too bad I'm graduating this year, you're closeted, and Kate has dibs on you, otherwise you'd be on my list," Veronica winked with a mischievous grin.</p>
<p>"Dibs?"</p>
<p>Veronica grinned wider. It amused her that this studious cadet cruised past all of the other inconsequential details she'd rattled off and narrowed in on the one that mattered most to her.</p>
<p>"At least as long as she's still in love with you," Veronica explained easily. Her tone was light with indifference, but she could see the words landed with the precision she'd expected.</p>
<p>"She said that?" Sophie asked with hopeful surprise. Somehow the suggestion of this stymied the tsunami of worry from engulfing her.</p>
<p>"You're like a raccoon."</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"Did you ever read <em>Where the Red Fern Grows</em>?"</p>
<p>"When I was a kid, why?"</p>
<p>"It's so good; definitely top ten. I cry like a damn baby every time I read it," Veronica said distractedly. "You're like that raccoon."</p>
<p>"I… isn't it - I thought it was about dogs," Sophie said, not understanding the comparison or the context for it.</p>
<p>"Hm? Oh, yea, but in the beginning when the boy's grandpa teaches him about that raccoon trap; it uses a log and some nails and some shiny piece of metal. It's so simple, but it does something remarkable. It takes advantage of the raccoon's weaknesses: shiny things and stubbornness. It's a perfect combination that traps the raccoon at no one's fault but its own," Veronica explained easily.</p>
<p>"You know there are faster ways to insult someone, right?" Sophie asked, her brow slowly morphing into a permanent scowl. The roller coaster of this conversation was quickly eating into Sophie's patience. More than that though, she didn't like being strung along or taken for a fool.</p>
<p>Veronica laughed. "Sorry, it wasn't meant to be."</p>
<p>"Then what was it?" Sophie replied, her scowl now set.</p>
<p>"A compliment: I've volleyed a slew of distractions at you, and with each one you manage to focus with laser precision on the one you want to hear about," Veronica explained, pausing for Sophie to agree with her. When she didn't, Veronica broke into a grin. "She didn't have to tell me."</p>
<p>"Then how do you-"</p>
<p>"I can count on one finger the number of negative things she's said about you, and even then it was only because it was teased out of her, and I'm half convinced she immediately regretted it."</p>
<p>"That could be considered a lot if you've only ever talked once," Sophie replied with a growing tightness in her chest. "But I get the feeling that isn't true."</p>
<p>"You're perceptive, too," Veronica said lightly.</p>
<p>"Clearly not because I still have no idea who you really are or why you're here."</p>
<p>"I'm a friend of Kate's," Veronica said as though stating the obvious.</p>
<p>"A friend?" Sophie asked. She ignored the shock of surprise at her own forwardness as her eyes narrowed and a slow surge of jealousy built.</p>
<p>"New, obviously," Veronica said either not seeing or choosing to ignore the glare and suggestion coming from Sophie.</p>
<p>"You were the one who ended things, right?"</p>
<p>"I… yes, technically."</p>
<p>"Technically? What does that mean? That you both wanted it in the end?" Veronica scowled.</p>
<p>"Well, no, I just mean… yes."</p>
<p>"Ah ha" Veronica said, leaning back into her chair as she surveyed Sophie for a moment. Sophie, for her part, felt another wave of discomfort at the gaze coming from Veronica.</p>
<p>"Ah ha, what?" Sophie asked, speaking past her discomfort.</p>
<p>"I like being right. So why'd you do it?" Veronica asked. "Actually, no, don't tell me. I don't care that much. I'm already overdoing it."</p>
<p>"Ok…"</p>
<p>"Look, I don't want to tell you how to live your life."</p>
<p>"Then why do I feel like you're about to?" Sophie said with more annoyance than she meant to reveal. She knew she didn't have a poker face, but any attempt to conceal her mounting anxiety was better than nothing. She wasn't sure if this V person was trying to make her jealous, but it was working, and it was a feeling she was neither used to nor comfortable with.</p>
<p>"Because I am. That last bit was some fine print in case you listen to me and everything still goes to shit," Veronica grinned. "So here it goes: you messed up a good thing. I can tell it was a good thing because Kate is a good thing, and I don't say these things lightly. Plus, while it's only been a minute, you seem like a good thing."</p>
<p>"I… I don't understand," Sophie said, thrown by the direct yet utterly ambiguous words.</p>
<p>"Either fix this or accept that she's going to move on."</p>
<p>"Is that a threat?" Sophie asked with a scowl, her body stiffening in surprise.</p>
<p>"No," Veronica said, shaking her head lightly. "It's just the truth."</p>
<p>"What makes you think I haven't accepted that?"</p>
<p>"Because I met lover boy last night, and if he wasn't an obvious indication, this scowl of yours is: you regret what you did. The question for you is whether you regret it enough to actually do something about it."</p>
<p>"Even if I did, which I'm not saying I do-"</p>
<p>"We can play this like a hypothetical if you want, but let's not pretend you're kidding anyone."</p>
<p>"There's no chance it would ever work. She's barely talking to me as it is."</p>
<p>"I've never liked statistics," Veronica sighed. "They always persuade people away from risks. Are you risk averse, Sophie?"</p>
<p>"I… yes. But who isn't?"</p>
<p>Veronica shot her a small smile. "People who don't live with regret. Like I said: fix it or accept she's gone and that you've lost her. And don't beat around the bush; she deserves better than being played and strung along."</p>
<p>"I'm… I'm not trying to string her along," Sophie said quickly. "She's made it clear in not so subtle ways that she wants nothing to do with me."</p>
<p>Veronica shrugged. "Maybe. My guess? That's because she doesn't know what she wants. You have the advantage of knowing her though."</p>
<p>"And you don't?" Sophie asked, trying to hide the concern in her voice and not trusting herself to say more.</p>
<p>"Not in the same way," she replied cryptically.</p>
<p>Veronica tapped the top of the table with a finality as she stood to leave.</p>
<p>"Does she know you're here?" Sophie asked.</p>
<p>Veronica paused in thought for a moment. "What do you think?"</p>
<p>"I feel like you know Kate well enough to know this isn't something she'd endorse."</p>
<p>"You should follow those more."</p>
<p>"Follow what?"</p>
<p>"Your feelings."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>a/n: hi all,</p>
<p>We are T-minus four days until Batwoman season 2 takes us by storm. It really hit me the other day that we won't all tune in to see Kate Kane don the red cowl on Sunday. I binged the first half of season 1 in early January last year and was hooked. It was raw, edgy, and still figuring itself out, but I could already imagine the potential for the storyline. Like all great, slow-burning shows, I was especially itching to see more of Kate and Sophie's relationship, which is what inspired me to start this little series last year.</p>
<p>I'd never written a word outside of school in my life and had no idea how long I was going to do this for. There were certain characters (ex: Beth/Alice) who terrified me - they were so vivid on screen and in their dialogue/performance that my meager writing experience shied away from it. So I triaged what I was semi-confident in from what I wasn't remotely capable of tackling and came up with a rough plotline. Fast forward ten months, and this story is nowhere near where I thought it would be. That rough outline is long gone. I never planned the flashback parts; they just came out of the process. Melvin was never supposed to exist. Renee Montoya was added to the main story after a night of deep internet sleuthing of Batwoman comics. Now that I've had a hand at writing characters like Riley, I'm encouraged to revisit Alice. All of this has evolved out of the discovery of Kate Kane's Batwoman and the nuances that go with it.</p>
<p>But more than going in a direction I never anticipated, this story is probably nowhere near what the writers had in mind when they started Kate's journey. Even more unlikely is seeing any of this ever develop on screen after last summer's news.</p>
<p>For that I am sad. I had hopes of a Kate Kane superhero; of seeing such an amazing comic book character come to life. I clung onto the final episodes of season one hoping to glimpse the batmoore I craved and was heartbroken when it unravelled into nothing. But I'm also really happy. I'm happy that I've had the privilege of writing this alternate version and that you, readers, have been such a fun, engaging, and supportive community to present this story to. While this isn't at all what I expected, I'm happy I've found an unexpected joy in writing and a thrill in the opportunity to post it each week for you all.</p>
<p>As always, a very genuine thank you for sticking with this story.</p>
<p>Cheers,<br/>EQT.95</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kate was not in a good mood. She hadn't been for the entire day. The day before had ended with her escorting a cadet to medical, whose overzealous sparring partner didn't know his own strength. One x-ray and two hours later, the cadet's collarbone was being set in a brace and Kate was fielding messages from Reyes who was demanding she see him first thing the next morning.</p>
<p>What ensued was a ten minute lecture that rolled into a forty minute argument about Kate's perceived negligence in allowing such an avoidable injury to occur. Kate seethed as Reyes accused her of skimping on her duties. The rational side of Kate knew Reyes was prodding her for a reaction and silence was her ally, but she took the bait and engaged. It did nothing for the situation, and she left running late for a chemistry exam.</p>
<p>She'd barely had time to squeeze in studies the night prior before she eventually passed out from the rigor of her schedule. Underprepared and twenty minutes late, she knew she'd just landed her worst mark of the semester as she returned her exam book at the last possible second. Her professor offered a sympathetic look as she handed it in which only infuriated her more. That she wasn't more on top of her schedule was only one of many aspects that left her regularly frustrated, but today was setting a new standard.</p>
<p>It had become fairly well known by cadets and faculty alike that Kate's schedule was untenable, and she hated the remorseful looks from her professors who offered her extensions. The stubborn streak in her rejected this every time, but even the pragmatic side knew they were a short-sighted and preposterous offers: it would only cause a semester-long domino effect where eventually every assignment, report, and exam would be pushed until she'd be taking her final exams in August. That no one seemed to comprehend that logic only bothered her more.</p>
<p>From there she squeezed out as many spare moments in the corridor outside of her next class to skim through the readings she was supposed to have completed. The extra thirty minutes of sleep the night before meant she'd have to skip lunch if she hoped to stay on top of the slowly accumulating list of papers she needed to sort through. She spent the next hour reading three articles on Douglas MacArthur's contributions to the military only to check the syllabus as she walked into the classroom and realize the lecture would be on the U.S. Army's Chief of Staff from 1939-1945, not 1930-1935. Her head dropped in exasperation as the professor began roll call.</p>
<p>Over the next ninety minutes, Professor Chambers managed to quickly discern Kate was not familiar with General George C. Marshall Jr.'s curriculum vitae and made it a point to call attention to it with every passing opportunity, peppering her with preposterously specific questions.</p>
<p>
  <em>"And who can tell me what Winston Churchill's view of General Marshall was? Cadet Kane, perhaps?"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"No, sir, I couldn't tell you," Kate sighed for the third time.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Pity. Anyone else? How about Cadet Moore."</em>
</p>
<p>She tried sneaking her way out of the class as it ended but was caught and received a stern reminder by Chambers of her floundering performance. This made her fifteen minutes tardy for her afternoon training session. Her mood soured further when Melvin was nowhere to be found and the cadets had been left to their own devices, milling about with absolutely no order. She scanned the grounds before sighing, resigned by her fate. It was only when she released the cadets for a brief five minute break that he appeared.</p>
<p>
  <em>"Hey, sorry, I'm la-"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Where were you?" Kate interrupted, not caring to hear an apology.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Reyes called me in," he said quickly, correctly interpreting Kate's shortness as a sign of impatient moodiness.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"And?"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Twenty minute lecture about the importance of integrity and persistence. I tried telling him we had a session, but the irony of the moment was totally lost on him; I got here as fast as I could."</em>
</p>
<p>The remaining three hours passed without good or bad, leaving Kate's mood to stay the course. It was when the second session of cadets came in that her mood soured further. She expected lackluster performance from the first years, but there were base standards she held for the third years. That she had worked most closely with the second years, she had established them as a benchmark for development, and her annoyance at the lack of performance by the third years was grinding at her thinning patience. This wasn't the only group of noncommittal third years, nor was it the first week they'd underperformed, but it was the first time she let her impatience with the situation show. Even Sarah couldn't weasel her way through Kate's moody temperament, try as she might:</p>
<p>
  <em>"Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," Sarah said, sidling up to Kate with a quick smirk. "You keep glaring like that and your face will get stuck that way."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"I'm not glaring."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Fine. Brooding then. You've been in a mood all day."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"I suggest you spend more time focusing on your follow through than on me."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"I know what you need," Sarah said lightly, taking the brief pause allotted to the cadets between drills to interrogate Kate's demeanor.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Not interested in wh-"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"You need a break."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"That's what this is," Kate said, surveying the squad of third years lingering about.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"No, I mean a real break. Like a trip to the beach-"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"It's 40 degrees out."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Or a spa day or… I don't know. You're working too much. You should take a break."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Yea? You think I need a break?"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Yes! Exactly," Sarah replied eagerly, not picking up on the non-joking nature of Kate's tone.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"I'll be sure to let Reyes know one of the underperforming third years thinks I deserve a break," Kate said, her tone trending toward impatience.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Ouch."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"I don't get to just throw in the towel on a bad day."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Hey dude, chill. It was just a suggestion. Go keep being a groucho if you want," Sarah said, raising her hands to admit surrender.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Break's over," Kate called, leaving Sarah's comment unaddressed.</em>
</p>
<p>All of that combined into a short fuse by the time her final session of the day began. It started typically enough: Sophie arrived exactly on time, there was a terse dispute about whether she would wear the pads or not, and then Kate began the same process she'd undertaken each previous week. It was the same regiment Jacob had used on her when he began training her to fight at fourteen. Personally, she considered it controversial. Memories of Jacob stoically knocking her to the ground over and over flooded her mind each week. The difference now was that she was playing the part of her father.</p>
<p>She could see where Sophie was falling short, but like Jacob so many years earlier, she remained silent, waiting for her to discover it for herself. The problem was that Kate knew this wasn't how Sophie functioned. At least not yet. She knew Sophie could see where she was failing, but Sophie's response wasn't about slight adjustments, it was to overthink entirely. She didn't see how much she was holding herself back by getting lost in those thoughts, and it certainly didn't help that she was so obviously distracted during their hour-long sessions either.</p>
<p>It took only fifteen minutes for Sophie to interject with commentary Kate had heard half a dozen times over.</p>
<p>"I'm not asking to be best friends, Kate," Sophie said mid-monologue, her voice steady with conviction as she lifted herself from the mat; she'd not bothered to defend the attack from Kate moments earlier that easily toppled her, and that alone made Kate even more irate. "I just don't understand why we need to be strangers. We aren't even on other sides of the country or an ocean or the world. You're literally standing in front of me."</p>
<p>"Sophie," Kate finally interrupted. "How many times are you going to do this? Give it a rest."</p>
<p>"Fine," Sophie conceded, reading all the cues of annoyance Kate was giving off.</p>
<p>It was the fastest she'd ever surrendered their weekly debate, and, of all things, this set off Kate's mood even more. Any other day this would have been music to her ears, but today it struck her in all the wrong ways. She wanted to argue - <em>needed</em> to argue, and somehow Sophie's unwillingness to put up a fight set off the perfect storm in Kate's mind. The surrender sent Kate back to three months earlier when Sophie had given up for the first time without a fight. Kate's temper lashed out as she heard the words replay in her mind:</p>
<p>
  <em>"No, you're the one being short-sighted. This was never going to work."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"I don't understand why you won't fight for this. We're both on the same page about our feelings, right?"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Kate, don't do this."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Then let's figure out a way. It doesn't have to be like this. There can be a compromise."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Be serious, Kate. People compromise on things like paint color or where to go for dinner."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Fine, but we still have three years to figure this ou-"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Kate, enough. It's over."</em>
</p>
<p>And then Kate did something Jacob never did: she lost control.</p>
<p>
  <strong>xx</strong>
</p>
<p>"Sophie? Soph?"</p>
<p>The voice was strained and laced with worry. The first thing she felt was the warmth of a hand against her cheek, and the first thing she saw when her eyes opened was a set of piercing green ones staring back in alarm.</p>
<p>Sophie blinked and realized she was viewing the gym front a very familiar position: face up on the mat. However, this time, she didn't remember how she got there, and if Kate's reaction was any indication, it was a shock to both of them.</p>
<p>"I'm so sorry," Kate said, now scanning Sophie for a sign of injury. "I wasn't… it was such a stupid thing to do. Are you-?"</p>
<p>"Wh-yea," Sophie said, shifting to sit up on the back of her elbows. Her movement caused Kate's hand to recoil. She felt a pain on the side of her head and raised her fingers to it, trying to recall how it came to be. "What happened?"</p>
<p>"I wasn't, fuck, Soph, I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking and I… we should get you to medical," Kate said, racked with guilt.</p>
<p>"What? No, I'm fine," Sophie insisted, sitting up fully, fighting a wave of dizziness.</p>
<p>"Are you sure?"</p>
<p>"How long was I out?"</p>
<p>"I-I don't know… maybe a minute? I… maybe less?"</p>
<p>Sophie nodded, blinking back her confusion.</p>
<p>"Is that bad?" Kate asked nervously, still not trusting Sophie's words.</p>
<p>Sophie shrugged. "No idea."</p>
<p>"Are you sure you don't want to go to medical? It's not far and they might still be open. It's only-"</p>
<p>"Kate."</p>
<p>"Yea?" Kate replied, a slight panic still in her voice.</p>
<p>"I'm fine."</p>
<p>"You don't know that. And I… I wasn't going easy on you."</p>
<p>Images of moments earlier hazily appeared through the fog of Sophie's memory. She flinched as the look on Kate's face appeared clearly in her mind right before she said one word: <em>again</em>.</p>
<p>A flash later and Sophie understood why she was on the mat. She blinked slowly, not sure what to say. The shock of Kate knocking her out was having more of an impact on her than the dull pain pulsing in her head. She risked a glance toward Kate and was met with the same terrified look from moments earlier.</p>
<p>"It's ok," she said simply. "I'm fine."</p>
<p>Kate looked like she might argue but simply nodded her gaze falling in remorse as Sophie sat up properly.</p>
<p>"Maybe we should call it an early night though," Sophie offered. She didn't actually know what time it was but imagined another minute longer and she'd have to tap out voluntarily.</p>
<p>"Yea, yea… of course," Kate said in agreement. She climbed to her feet and hesitantly extended a hand to offer Sophie help up. "Are you ok to-to…?"</p>
<p>"Yea," Sophie said, ignoring Kate's hand and lifting herself off the mat. She shook away the wave of nausea that came with it and focused her attention on the locker room.</p>
<p>For once it was Kate who lingered behind, using the pads as an excuse. When she cautiously made her way back to the locker room she noted with some relief that Sophie was already changed, sitting on one of the benches as she cinched up her bag.</p>
<p>"Are you going to tell me what happened?" she asked, looking up at Kate as she entered.</p>
<p>The question caught Kate off guard, and her cheeks burned with guilt. "I was… I wasn't thinking."</p>
<p>"Right, but what happened?" Sophie repeated.</p>
<p>"I… I'm sorry, Sophie. Really, I… I shouldn't have-"</p>
<p>"Kate, I don't care about that," Sophie interrupted. "Are you ok?"</p>
<p>"What? That… of course. You're the one who… who..." Kate said, fading into silence as she turned toward her locker. Sophie stood to follow her.</p>
<p>"Look, I don't want to so-sound…"</p>
<p>A noise caused Kate to look back and she felt her throat tighten in fear and her heart skip a beat.</p>
<p>"Hey, hey," she called as she watched Sophie slide down the wall to the ground. Kate was next to her in a flash. "Ok, no. We need to get you checked out," she said quickly, her face the picture of fear and lacking any indication of her usual stoicism.</p>
<p>"I'm fine. It's probably just a concussion," Sophie explained easily, trying to stand but was met with the resistance of Kate's hand on her shoulder</p>
<p>"Just a… concussions aren't something you take lightly," Kate scowled in disbelief.</p>
<p>"It's fine. I got them when I played soccer, too."</p>
<p>"Wait, what? Are you serious?"</p>
<p>"It's why I stopped competing. Apparently I'm more susceptible to them," Sophie said as though it was as common as being able to roll her tongue.</p>
<p>"That is becoming really apparent," Kate said, her voice straining to remain calm.</p>
<p>"So it's fine," Sophie continued, trying again to stand and meeting the same stubborn resistance. "Kate, I'm fine."</p>
<p>"You just fell. No way, you're not going anywhere."</p>
<p>"I didn't fall. It was a controlled slide," Sophie tried to argue back.</p>
<p>"No, that's not going to work," Kate said, concern and stubbornness weaving into her tone.</p>
<p>"So I'm just supposed to sleep in the locker room?" Sophie asked, perturbed by Kate's insistence. This wasn't her first rodeo, and it definitely wasn't the worst head injury she'd ever had. That she was dizzy didn't feel uncommon for her; it was a normal symptom relative to her past experiences.</p>
<p>"Wh-no. I didn't mean that, I just… are you ok to walk?"</p>
<p>Sophie was about to fire off a sarcastic response when she caught Kate's gaze and realized that there was genuine worry etched on her face, and she faltered. The concern had been there all along but it was the first time Sophie really registered it. It wasn't that she thought Kate had stopped caring completely, but the last few weeks of indifference had left her beginning to wonder if that's the direction their relationship was heading. A nagging truth that kept Sophie from giving this too much thought even now was that this was how Kate would react to anyone in her situation. Sophie wasn't a special case.</p>
<p>"Yea, I think so," Sophie said after a moment.</p>
<p>"We can wait. There's no rush," Kate clarified, falling back from her crouched position to sit across from Sophie.</p>
<p>"You don't need to stay. Actually, you should go-"</p>
<p>"I'm not leaving you, Sophie."</p>
<p>Sophie felt a tightness in her chest at this. The nuance of Kate's use of 'Sophie' was a subtle reminder of where their relationship stood. In the midst of everything earlier, she'd heard Kate slip up and felt an echo of hope but quickly realized that's all it was: a slip up from a still unbroken habit.</p>
<p>Resigned to this fact, Sophie fell into a practiced tone as she negotiated her freedom. It was another ten minutes before she managed to convince Kate that she was ok to stand, let alone walk back to the dorms. That took another five minutes and a promise to say something if she needed a break. The trek back to the dorms was completed in silence with Kate watching Sophie like a hawk for any sign she was unwell.</p>
<p>"Where's Riley?" Kate asked as Sophie pushed the dorm's door open.</p>
<p>"Well, it's Thursday so-"</p>
<p>"Wilfred."</p>
<p>"-Wilfred, yea," Sophie said, dropping her bag at her feet. "Thanks for the walk and, uh, well everything."</p>
<p>"No, it… I'm the reason for this in the first place," Kate said darkly, leaning against the doorway and looking into the room she once called home as a distraction. It wasn't much different from the semester before: Sophie's side was entirely unchanged from the organized, immaculate version Kate had come to know. Riley's was the biggest difference: while still a sight for sore eyes, it was clear an effort had been made to contain the chaos. There weren't forgotten food wrappers in every corner, and her dirty laundry seemed consolidated to a single pile instead of the extents of her side.</p>
<p>"That's not really true," Sophie said thoughtfully. "You're only doing any of this because I messed up."</p>
<p>"So, uhm, what's the protocol now?" Kate asked, tearing her gaze away from surveying the room.</p>
<p>"What?" Sophie asked.</p>
<p>"The… with your concussion."</p>
<p>"Oh, uh, well, assuming I even have one, and if you go off what the doctors say-"</p>
<p>"Which is usually my preference-" Kate interjected as a warning.</p>
<p>"Then I shouldn't sleep for more than an hour uninterrupted. At least that's what they always told my parents."</p>
<p>"Ok."</p>
<p>"So I'll just set an alarm when I go to sleep, and it'll be fine."</p>
<p>Kate nodded before a small scowl furrowed her brow. "But what if you don't wake up?"</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"I just mean, are you supposed to be interrupted for some reason?"</p>
<p>"Oh, uh, well…"</p>
<p>"Yes?"</p>
<p>"It's fine."</p>
<p>"Ok, no," Kate said, pulling out her phone.</p>
<p>"What are you doing?"</p>
<p>"Asking the internet."</p>
<p>"It's ok, really. The alarm is fine."</p>
<p>"That's not what the internet says."</p>
<p>"You can't trust everything on that."</p>
<p>"Are your pupils dilated?" Kate asked as she scanned the medical website for information.</p>
<p>"How would I know?"</p>
<p>"I've just never dealt with this before. I need you to help me out here a bit," Kate explained, scanning through the article she'd found.</p>
<p>"I already told you-"</p>
<p>"Yes, but I need some honesty, Sophie," Kate interrupted more sternly.</p>
<p>"Kate, please-"</p>
<p>"It says symptoms will appear in the first six hours."</p>
<p>"That's an exaggeration," Sophie insisted.</p>
<p>"Ok, no, you're not staying alone."</p>
<p>"Kate, it's fine. The internet blows everything out of proportion."</p>
<p>"Well you've given me absolutely no reason to believe you," Kate shot back, silencing Sophie.</p>
<p>Sophie stared in surprise, unsure how to negotiate the situation. She retraced the last few minutes of their conversation and began peeling back the nuances to realize something very familiar about Kate's tone. She'd experienced it once before months earlier the night Nathan Bentley's nose was broken: Kate was scared. More than that though, she was racked with guilt over what she had just done to Sophie, and for all the other times Kate had the answer, this time she was at a loss for how to fix it.</p>
<p>"Kate," Sophie said, quickly piecing it all together.</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"I'm not even going to bed yet."</p>
<p>"That's fine," Kate said, walking into the room and collapsing into Riley's desk chair. "I'm staying till Riley gets back though."</p>
<p>"Kate, please it's fine. You can go. I'm really ok."</p>
<p>"No," Kate said, her tone showing little room for negotiating as she reached for one of Riley's rarely used textbooks.</p>
<p>"Don't you have homework to do?"</p>
<p>"Yes," Kate replied, flipping through the pages.</p>
<p>"At least go get that so you aren't wasting time."</p>
<p>"So you can lock me out? Not a chance," Kate shot back.</p>
<p>Sophie's eyes were wide with surprise, unable to formulate a coherent retort. Instead she settled on the only alternative she could think of: "I'm going to Melvin's."</p>
<p>"Great, I'll be here."</p>
<p>"You'll what?" Sophie asked, not expecting this string of unrelenting bullheadedness.</p>
<p>"I'm not leaving," Kate said with finality.</p>
<p>Sophie seethed as she latched the door behind her, frustrated by how Kate always seemed to insert her at the worst times, especially now when they weren't even dating or roommates or… friends?</p>
<p>"She's what?"</p>
<p>"In my room," Sophie repeated.</p>
<p>"But that's… good, right?" Melvin asked, perplexed by Sophie's frustration. "Why are you here?"</p>
<p>"Because I want her to leave."</p>
<p>"Did you ask her?"</p>
<p>"I - yes."</p>
<p>"You could always just sleep here," Melvin offered.</p>
<p>"That's not the point," Sophie scowled.</p>
<p>"I don't understand. What is the point?"</p>
<p>"She wants Kate to stay," James chimed in from behind the screen.</p>
<p>"You want her to stay?" Melvin asked, more confused.</p>
<p>"I… I don't know. I don't know what I want."</p>
<p>"Is that a symptom of concussions?" Melvin offered.</p>
<p>"She wants old Kate to stay," James clarified. "And she's conflicted because she can't have that Kate, so now she doesn't know if she'd rather have no Kate or this moody version of Kate."</p>
<p>Sophie and Melvin gaped at the pinpoint accuracy of James' words. He looked up at them with a small scowl. "What?"</p>
<p>"That was… very articulate, James," Melvin commented.</p>
<p>"I'm not an idiot," James said tersely. "It's almost mundanely obvious."</p>
<p>Mundanely? Melvin mouthed to Sophie.</p>
<p>"Good word, right?" James said, his attention back to the screen. "Kate taught me it."</p>
<p>
  <strong>xx</strong>
</p>
<p>"Here," Sophie said, dropping Kate's bag next to Riley's desk.</p>
<p>"Is that my stuff?" Kate asked in surprise.</p>
<p>"If you're going to waste your time here, you might as well do something with it," Sophie explained. After leaving Melvin's room, she'd made a brief detour to 409 and was relieved when Chelsea answered the door and enthusiastically accepted Sophie's request for Kate's bookbag.</p>
<p>
  <em>"I was wondering if she'd be back tonight," Chelsea explained. "She's rarely here anymore. You two studying again? That's so great. We were all a little worried."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The flood of words caught Sophie by surprise and all she could manage in reply was "Really?"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Oh yea. I asked James and he said you two had a bit of a falling out at the end of last term. I'm glad you worked it out though," Chelsea said with an eager smile.</em>
</p>
<p>"Uh, thanks," Kate said in surprise before hesitantly digging into it.</p>
<p>"Maybe start with General Marshall," Sophie offered lightly which only caused Kate to double down on her look of surprise.</p>
<p>She moved back to her side of the room where she set up shop at her desk. Silence fell between them as they worked in parallel quiet. It was only when the first hour passed that Kate spoke again.</p>
<p>"You're not asleep, but… how are you feeling?"</p>
<p>"I already told you. I'm fine," Sophie replied.</p>
<p>"Ok," Kate nodded.</p>
<p>"You really don't have to stay," Sophie offered again.</p>
<p>"I already told you. I'm staying."</p>
<p>"Ok."</p>
<p>Another hour passed in similar silence. This time it was Sophie who broke it.</p>
<p>"So what happened today?"</p>
<p>"Hm?"</p>
<p>"With you."</p>
<p>"I don't know what you're talking about," Kate lied.</p>
<p>"You were late to the chem exam this morning, you let Professor Chambers get under your skin this afternoon, and you tried to decapitate me tonight," Sophie rattled off cautiously.</p>
<p>"My aim was too high to decapitate," Kate muttered lamely.</p>
<p>Sophie glanced expectantly toward Kate who sighed in exasperation. "It was just a bad day."</p>
<p>"Ok," Sophie said, taking the hint and returning to her reading.</p>
<p>Over the course of the third hour Sophie noted all the familiar habits of Kate shift from heavy concentration to fighting of sleep: the soft muttering of Kate reading aloud when she was focusing dissolved into her fingers gripping her short hair into disarray as she struggled to understand something which transitioned into the way she adjusted and readjusted in her seat every few minutes to stay awake.</p>
<p>It was as commonplace as anything else Sophie had come to know, and she found herself cherishing the fleeting moments that would inevitably expire and send them back onto their regularly scheduled trajectory of not speaking.</p>
<p>
  <strong>xx</strong>
</p>
<p>"What does it mean?"</p>
<p>The sound of Sophie's voice caused Kate to jolt her eyes open. She shook her head, realizing she'd dozed in Riley's chair.</p>
<p>"Sorry?" she asked, unsure she'd even heard Sophie's original question correctly.</p>
<p>"Your tattoo. It's Hebrew, right?"</p>
<p>"Yea," Kate said, rubbing her eyes to fight off the sting of sleep. She glanced at the clock for the time and noted it was 12:45; fifteen minutes had elapsed since she last looked. Sophie was still at her desk working with the same unwavering diligence, and Kate was struggling mightily to keep her own eyes open.</p>
<p>"It's a poem?" Sophie continued, daringly.</p>
<p>"It's just some words," Kate said, deflecting as she blinked her eyes open to refocus on her half-complete assignment, "that's all."</p>
<p>Kate could feel Sophie scowling from her desk, weighing whether to push back on Kate's ambiguity and felt a tinge of sadness when she remained silent.</p>
<p>"It's been nearly three hours. You should go."</p>
<p>"The internet says six."</p>
<p>"The internet also says bigfoot exists."</p>
<p>"That's because he does," Kate replied, not looking up from her notes.</p>
<p>The retort caught Sophie off guard, and a smile broke over her face before she could stop it. She glanced over at Kate before returning her gaze to her notes, trying to hide it at the risk of earning a scowl from her former roommate. It took a minute but she was finally able to shake it away.</p>
<p>"Riley never stays out past two anymore," Sophie began again.</p>
<p>"So?"</p>
<p>"So, you can leave now, and I'll message Riley to wake me up if I'm asleep when she gets back."</p>
<p>"You expect me to trust Riley Thomas?" Kate said, baffled by the proposal.</p>
<p>"She's been a lot better."</p>
<p>"Since when?"</p>
<p>"Since… well, since you stopped hanging around," Sophie confessed.</p>
<p>Kate nodded, trying to hide the surprise of disappointment at Sophie's words.</p>
<p>Silence fell once more between them as Kate waffled with her own thoughts. She waited until a few minutes after one before leaning back in the chair with a sigh.</p>
<p>"You're sure she'll be back by two?"</p>
<p>"Riley?" Sophie asked, "Yea, that's been the new norm."</p>
<p>"And you'll message her?" Kate pressed.</p>
<p>"Yes," Sophie said, surprised by Kate's willingness to hang up her stubbornness. "Honestly, I wake up when she gets in anyway. She's not exactly known for her subtlety."</p>
<p>Kate nodded in fake thought, as though weighing the information like her mind hadn't been made up twenty minutes earlier. "Ok, fine. If anything happens, let me know."</p>
<p>"You mean like if I die?" Sophie joked, but sobered at the glare Kate shot her. "Yes, ok," she quickly added as Kate returned her study materials to her bag.</p>
<p>Kate let out a tired sigh as she lifted herself from the desk and trapsed towards the door.</p>
<p>"It's about an apple, right?"</p>
<p>"What?" Kate asked, freezing midstep.</p>
<p>"I… I tried to remember the characters. One of the words is apple?"</p>
<p>Kate didn't answer, and Sophie worried she'd just pushed too far.</p>
<p>"Yehuda Amichai."</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"He's an Israeli poet," Kate said, turning back to face Sophie.</p>
<p>Sophie waited, seeing the gears in Kate's mind churn deciding how forthcoming to be.</p>
<p>"My mom used to read his work to us before bed. I was too young to get the nuances at the time. I still probably don't get all of them."</p>
<p>"What does it say?"</p>
<p>"That you shouldn't be so nosy."</p>
<p>"He doesn't sound like a very good poet."</p>
<p>Sophie felt a tiny burst of excitement as her retort was met with a small smile and chuckle from Kate. It faded as quickly as it came, but Sophie clung to the sound of it as silence overcame them again.</p>
<p>"About earlier… I-I didn't mean to... I promise it won't ever happen again," Kate said, lingering at the door a moment longer.</p>
<p>Sophie offered a small smile of reassurance. "Don't worry, you've already made up for it."</p>
<p>Kate nodded uncomfortably as she pulled the door open.</p>
<p>"Goodnight, Sophie."</p>
<p>"Goodnight, Kate."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>post 1 of 2 &gt;&gt; This was going to be one mega-chapter, but then I decided that was too much for this platform. So now you get two normal-ish chapters.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"It's such a relief not to have to crack a book for days."</p>
<p>"What do you mean?" Kate asked.</p>
<p>"What do you mean what do I mean?"</p>
<p>"Why aren't you cracking a book? Do fourth years have something going on?"</p>
<p>Veronica gawked in surprise. "Spring break is this week."</p>
<p>"Really?"</p>
<p>"Unbelievable. You're unbelievable. Who forgets that?"</p>
<p>It did suddenly explain why Kate had been talking about coursework like it was a day away from beginning again.</p>
<p>"I… honestly, it hadn't crossed my mind."</p>
<p>"So I'm guessing you don't have any plans?" Veronica asked, still recovering from the shock of Kate's admission. She rolled to her side, propping her head on her elbow to survey Kate who still had her eyes closed.</p>
<p>"No, you?" Kate said, shaking her head. It was Sunday morning which meant if Veronica did have plans, she was taking her sweet time getting on with them.</p>
<p>"I was going to rent a car and see how far I could get. After that I planned on setting it on fire before buying a plane ticket back to this place."</p>
<p>"Sounds exotic," Kate replied dryly.</p>
<p>"Very. Want to come?"</p>
<p>"Obviously," Kate said, humoring Veronica's fictional plans.</p>
<p>"Great. I think we should get started by like 0800 tomorrow; that way we'll be somewhere decent by the time lunch rolls around."</p>
<p>"Oh, you're serious," Kate gaped, opening her eyes to examine Veronica.</p>
<p>"If I'm honest, I'm still weighing whether to burn the car at the end or not. What with the paperwork and the lawsuit the rental company will likely slap me with."</p>
<p>"But everything else…"</p>
<p>"Is a 'go'. You in?"</p>
<p>Kate didn't immediately reply, instead playing out the proposal in her head. Part of her was compelled by the spontaneity of Veronica's proposal, but another part of her was pulled toward a surprise week alone, free of plebes and the rigorous schedule she'd been keeping all semester. She might finally have a chance to catch up on all the studies benched for weeks.</p>
<p>"You don't have to answer now," Veronica said, sensing the hesitation from Kate. "Just let me know by tonight so I still have time to get batteries before I go if you're a 'no'."</p>
<p>"Batteries?"</p>
<p>"Unless I can borrow your fingers for the week," Veronica grinned back.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Sophie, your stress is stressing me out," Melvin groaned. "Stop pacing."</p>
<p>"I'm not pacing," Sophie shot back, crossing the room in a repetitive, linear fashion.</p>
<p>"Then what do you call it? A trot?"</p>
<p>"A mode of concentration."</p>
<p>"Babe, you're over-preparing," he began, earning a quick distracted glare from Sophie. "Remember what Ka-my advice from last time? Just be your sassy, clever, intuitive self, and it'll be smooth sailing. Besides, you have an entire eight hour drive to fret over this stuff."</p>
<p>"But last time was over the phone and it didn't include three other board members," Sophie explained for the fifth time. "On top of that, I have to provide an interim review of my coursework performance, and Reyes hasn't officially approved the extra practice sessions with Kate to boost my Tactics grade, so no, Melvin, I'm not over preparing. I'm practically two miles behind the lead car at this point."</p>
<p>"Ok, ok," Melvin sighed, seeing Sophie work herself into a tizzy.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Hey."</p>
<p>"Hm?"</p>
<p>"Where'd you go?"</p>
<p>"Nowhere," Kate said, shaking her head dismissively.</p>
<p>"Who messaged you?"</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"Earlier. You've been distracted ever since."</p>
<p>"No one," Kate said with a slight edge of defensiveness.</p>
<p>"Can I have three guesses?"</p>
<p>"No."</p>
<p>Veronica's eyes rolled in exasperation. "Ok… a family member? Nope, ok," Veronica said, taking Kate's side-eyed scowl as a negative. "I don't know anyone from your past life, so I won't even pretend to try that…" Veronica continued as she pondered a moment longer. "Oh! I see; what does lover boy want?"</p>
<p>Kate shook her head, silently willing Veronica to drop it. Unfortunately, Veronica was more insistent than most, and when she put her mind to something, she didn't back down. Kate realized this very early on; it was different from her own stubbornness, but only in that Veronica was more playful about it.</p>
<p>"Want me to guess?"</p>
<p>"Stop it," Kate sighed.</p>
<p>"We could make it a game," Veronica teased, slipping her hands under the blankets.</p>
<p>"No, drop it."</p>
<p>"A little tit for tat?" Veronica smirked as her fingers found and lightly squeezed Kate's nipple. Her efforts were rewarded with a small hitch in Kate's breath before a hand pushed her away. "Oh come on," Veronica whined, watching Kate climb from the bed and grab at the pile of forgotten clothes.</p>
<p>"I said no, V."</p>
<hr/>
<p>Melvin glanced at his phone for the hundredth time, willing it to blink with a notification. He didn't know what to expect when he'd messaged Kate earlier, but he'd hoped for a miracle. Unfortunately that was a rarity these days, and he was now entering his second hour of rehearsing interview questions with Sophie. The interview itself would take place in Gotham at Wayne Tech on Tuesday, and her parents were due to pick her up in two hours. That didn't bode well for Melvin who calculated it meant he might be trapped in this role until then.</p>
<p>"How was it?"</p>
<p>"Great. How do you feel about lunch?" Melvin suggested.</p>
<p>"It's only ten. You weren't even listening, were you?" Sophie sighed.</p>
<p>"Honestly? No, but that's because I have all the faith in the world in your ability to talk about the importance of gender equality."</p>
<p>"That's not even what I was talking about."</p>
<p>"You sure? It must have been a subliminal thing. You're very good at that."</p>
<p>"If we get food will you promise to pay attention?"</p>
<p>"How about this: If we get food I promise to try harder at paying attention," Melvin counter-offered.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"You know what the most frustrating thing about you is?"</p>
<p>"You sure know how to start a conversation," Kate said dryly, taking a sip of the freshly poured coffee. "It's a charming trait, really."</p>
<p>They were occupying a far booth of a diner sandwiched between the pool bar and the drabby hole-in-the-wall that hosted their Tuesday night gatherings. The diner wasn't anything special, but it served an all day breakfast and bottomless coffee which made it a frequent endstop to whenever Veronica and Kate spent a night together.</p>
<p>Kate had begrudgingly agreed to join Veronica on the condition that their previous conversation not reemerge. Until now she'd been behaving.</p>
<p>"You never let anyone in," Veronica continued, ignoring Kate's attempts to deflect.</p>
<p>"What?" Kate asked with surprise. "That's not true. And we agreed not to talk about this."</p>
<p>"No, we agreed I wouldn't talk about lover boy and his mysterious mood-altering messages. I'm talking about your self-isolation."</p>
<p>"That's a bit extreme," Kate said defensively. "And you're also one to talk."</p>
<p>"I know. Jess said I'm setting a bad example," Veronica said lightly, and Kate's eyes narrowed in confusion. "She might be right, but don't tell her I said that."</p>
<p>"Ok…" Kate said, unsure what this confession had to do with the looming trajectory of the conversation.</p>
<p>She silently watched Veronica concoct her preferred balance of sugar, coffee, sugar, cream, and sugar before leaning back into her side of the booth in a moment of contemplation. Veronica's expression hadn't changed much from a moment earlier, but Kate could see she was trying to curate her next words carefully.</p>
<p>"I had a girlfriend once."</p>
<p>"You? No, way. For how long? An afternoon?" Kate teased, unable to hide her surprise.</p>
<p>"I'm trying to open up here," Veronica scowled.</p>
<p>"Ok, ok, I'm sorry. Go on," Kate said, sobering from her jesting mood. "Tell me about your girlfriend."</p>
<p>"I hear the condescension in your tone, you ass."</p>
<p>"I'm sorry - it's just… I was surprised. You didn't seem like the type," Kate offered in apology. "How did you meet?"</p>
<p>Veronica eyed her skeptically before continuing:</p>
<p>"It was summertime nearly three years ago. Her name was Ashley. She was a cadet here - two years ahead of me."</p>
<p>"Wait, what?"</p>
<p>"I can tell the coffee hasn't hit you yet, so I'll do the math for you: I'm a senior, so three years ago meant I was a first year."</p>
<p>"I heard you fine, you just weren't talking in complete sentences," Kate pointed out.</p>
<p>"Like I was saying, it was the summer after my first year when I met her," Veronica began again. "She was part of the scholars program and was assigned summer duty going into her final year. I was stuck here because I couldn't be bothered to book a flight back to California."</p>
<p>Kate watched as Veronica maintained a lightness about her story-telling, pausing occasionally to take a sip of her over-sweetened coffee.</p>
<p>"I got a job here of all places; the late shift," she continued, gesturing at the outdated vinyl and chipping laminate interior of the diner. "It's why we get ten percent off the bill," she added with a wink.</p>
<p>"Then how come I still always pay full price?" Kate asked skeptically.</p>
<p>"Anyway," Veronica said, quickly sidestepping Kate's question, "I got to know a number of third and fourth years who were also staying in town for the summer. They'd pour in after the bar next door closed. They were terrible tippers, but it made the nights fly.</p>
<p>"Ash wasn't part of the usual wave of cadets. She was pretty bookish in the first place and mostly she stayed away from that scene. I found out later it was because her dad was an alcoholic. But one night she came out with them, and let me tell you, I'd never seen anyone as drop dead gorgeous in my life. It was lust at first sight. Like, my God, it was unbearable. You know those truly wretched pop songs about girls who don't know they're beautiful?"</p>
<p>"I listen to Blondie and Talking Heads, so… no," Kate replied.</p>
<p>"Well that was Ashley. She sat right there," Veronica said, pointing to a table set in the middle of the restaurant. "I could barely put two words together when I went to take her order. I was a wreck; in fact I messed up everyone's orders that night. I'd blindly scribbled onto the notepad in illegible handwriting because my eyes were stuck on her. I spilled water all over the table. I knocked an entire tray of food over just as it was being delivered. I was nearly fired, but it was totally worth it."</p>
<p>"I spent the next two weeks hawkishly waiting to see if she'd appear with the group of cadets, but she never did. She was like a damn unicorn or Cinderella; I didn't even know her name. Part of me wondered if I'd been tripping and imagined the entire night," Veronica said, falling into momentary silence as a smile crept across her face in memory. "As luck would have it, I ran straight into her as she was leaving the bookstore one day shortly after all of that. Like, literally <em>ran into her</em>. My clumsiness knocked every book out of her hands and onto the sidewalk. I was an embarrassed wreck, and she was sweet as fuck."</p>
<p>The arrival of their food interrupted Veronica's tale. Kate watched her with curiosity as she poured a gallon of syrup onto her pancakes and began alternating between bites of syrupy cakes and sharing more of her tale. Twenty minutes of goofy, endearing, puppy-love stories had been enough to cement what Kate saw as obvious mutual affection.</p>
<p>"By the end of summer we were hanging out almost daily. A week before term started, we went over to Sylvan Beach for the day. Evening rolled around and we were the last two on the beach, and I kissed her as the sun set."</p>
<p>"How romantic of you," Kate said with a cheesy grin.</p>
<p>"Oh, no, not for her. She was positively mortified. She wouldn't drive back to town with me and didn't talk to me for the rest of summer."</p>
<p>"What? But you two were… how? Why?" Kate asked, stunned by the revelation.</p>
<p>"This was what my heartbroken adolescence asked every night for a month," Veronica sighed with dramatic flare.</p>
<p>"Did you talk to her?"</p>
<p>"I tried. It took the first two weeks of term, but I managed to track her down to apologize for reading the signals wrong, but mostly I wanted an explanation. Had she really not felt it, too?"</p>
<p>"And?"</p>
<p>"She had. She felt the same as me but had never done anything like that with another woman. She'd had feelings for other women but never crossed the line toward something more. She was terrified."</p>
<p>Kate didn't respond. She couldn't because what Veronica was saying suddenly felt too close for comfort.</p>
<p>"But I'm persistent to a fault. She never stood a chance against me, and we spent that year secretly hooking up all over campus. Eventually we started renting a room at the motel down the street for added privacy. Her being a senior and me a second year didn't exactly make excuses for fraternizing easy," Veronica said. "But we were both in love. I was such a naive little youth. It was painful how in love I was with her, but she wouldn't risk coming out. Between her family and the military, her mind was set. I'd been out since high school and didn't have the same reservations as her, but this was before the school changed its requirement to serve, and she wouldn't risk being outed right before deployment."</p>
<p>Their plates had been cleared minutes earlier and silence fell between them, their mugs of black and tan liquid long ago reaching room temperature.</p>
<p>"Have you ever met someone who makes you want to be the best version of yourself?" Veronica asked with a small scowl of contemplation. "I'm no saint, but I wanted to be that for her."</p>
<p>Kate felt a lump in her throat as she gave a terse nod.</p>
<p>"I spent that whole year hoping she'd come around; that it'd be more than this secret we both carried. I got angry at the end when she wouldn't let me have something more. Even 'girlfriend' is a posthumous label - we were never officially even that. I squandered those last few weeks imploring her to come out; to have a relationship after graduation. When she deployed we weren't speaking. It broke my heart the day she left. It had been breaking bit by bit that last month, but I really felt it that final day."</p>
<p>"A couple weeks ago, you said you'd never date someone in the closet," Kate said in thought.</p>
<p>Veronica chuckled, "You're a brat, you know? Way to kick me while I'm down."</p>
<p>"No, I didn't… I guess I just… do you regret it?"</p>
<p>Veronica fell into contemplative silence for a moment before shaking her head. "The only thing I regret is that I made her feel like she wasn't enough; that I didn't make it clear she made me happier than I'd ever been even in the secrecy of it all," she said evenly. "And that I wasn't more patient. Yea, that too. Our relationship ultimately died because I wanted to force it into something it was never going to be; at least not in the short term. I like to think Ash would have come out eventually, and I'd have liked to have been by her side when it happened."</p>
<p>"Have you two talked? Maybe you could… I don't know. Maybe it's not too late?" Kate asked.</p>
<p>"She died," Veronica said simply. "Six months after deployment. Land mine."</p>
<p>The abruptness of Veronica's words completely blindsided Kate who could only stare back in shock.</p>
<p>"That's the thing about the military. You hear stories on the news all the time. It's always someone's kid or loved one. Even though we're attending a military academy and watch our friends go off to war, you never think the news will be about someone you know," Veronica said, and for the first time Kate saw the raw emotion she kept concealed under her joking demeanor. Kate slid her hand into hers, giving it a comforting squeeze.</p>
<p>"I'm so sorry, V. That's… I don't know what to say."</p>
<p>"The thing that hurts the most for me isn't that we weren't speaking when she died. I knew she loved me, and she knew I loved her. Things ended but it wasn't because we weren't in love. That was never in doubt. The thing that bothers me is that her parents never really knew her. Very few did, actually. I waffle with it all the time. I met them once; they were truly terrible, mean people. It was always a wonder to me how people who could be so demoralizing could raise someone as loving as Ash. If they knew, would they have accepted her? Did she feel truly happy knowing that part of her was always hidden? It might be selfish of me to wish she'd told them, but maybe that 'untarnished' version of her is the best gift for them."</p>
<p>Silence fell between them as Kate processed everything Veronica had just shared. It was a heavy story and shed some light on her aloofness when it came, well, everything about her. It also felt reminiscent of her own story, and that made her uneasy; uneasy in a way that she hadn't anticipated when they'd first come in for food.</p>
<p>"So what did lover boy want?" Veronica asked, pulling Kate from lingering too long with her thoughts.</p>
<p>"Uh, Sophie has her final interview for Wayne Tech this week. She's freaking out," Kate admitted without a fight.</p>
<p>"What does that have to do with you?"</p>
<p>"My cousin is Bruce Wayne," Kate replied, not bothering to challenge Veronica's line of questioning.</p>
<p>"You're related to the Wayne's?"</p>
<p>"I… yes."</p>
<p>"I need to start taking advantage of you."</p>
<p>"Isn't that what last night was?" Kate smirked.</p>
<p>"We'll come back to this," Veronica said, not taking the bait. "What does Bruce Wayne being your cousin have to do with you?" Veronica repeated with a scowl of disapproval on her face.</p>
<p>"What do you mean? He's the CEO."</p>
<p>"Don't be dense. That's not why he's messaging you."</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Babe, you're going to be fine," Melvin smirked, pulling her into a tight hug of reassurance.</p>
<p>"If you call me babe one more time, I swear," Sophie muttered in his ear.</p>
<p>"Worth it. You should see your dad's face," Melvin joked. "Want to make out? Really set him off?"</p>
<p>"Only only you want an ass whooping," Sophie said, quickly releasing him to offer a small scowl that faded into a smile. "Thank you."</p>
<p>"I expect to be your first call when you land the gig."</p>
<p>"<em>If</em> I get it, you'll definitely be in the top five."</p>
<p>"Five?!" Melvin pouted. "You're going to tell four people before me?"</p>
<p>Sophie rolled her eyes as she gave him a small wave and went to meet her parents who were sharing skeptical glances back at Melvin. He grinned back, already knowing the first questions out of Diane Moore's mouth would be at least fifteen minutes of distraction before Sophie managed to fall back into a fret.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"I'd just never considered it before," Kate said as they left the diner. The day was surprisingly warm for mid-March. The sun shone bright, contrasting the heaviness of Veronica's story. "That people could really let that be a factor. That they'd… that they'd actually let it control their lives."</p>
<p>They'd spent the last ten minutes talking around Sophie, and Veronica played ball until they were free of the confines of grease and sticky surfaces to speak more freely.</p>
<p>"Of course you wouldn't," she replied.</p>
<p>"What's that supposed to mean?"</p>
<p>"People do all sorts of shit out of fear. You and me? We had a fucking walk in the park compared to most. I grew up on the west coast in a town where, only in the mildest of hyperbole, being straight was the minority," Veronica began.</p>
<p>"Sounds fun," Kate smirked.</p>
<p>"And you're rich as hell which makes you practically impenetrable to suppression," Veronica continued, unphased by Kate's interruption. "On top of that, we're both white. That's privilege to a T if you ask me."</p>
<p>"Sure, but… I mean, yes. I know I grew up in a bubble."</p>
<p>"You still live in it," Veronica corrected. "I can barely imagine what it was like for someone like Ashley: white trash from some rural plain with a drunk for a dad and an evangelical faith pressuring her to hide her feelings. Even that feels like cake to what Sophie lives through," Veronica said, calling the elephant for what it was. "Can you even imagine what it must be like for her? I mean, she doesn't sound like trailer park trash, but growing up as the lone black girl in a blue collar town fighting for a spot that a white man takes for granted couldn't have been easy. Add to that being gay with parents who think she'll go to hell if she tells them? I get why she's afraid to come out. Her parents would be terrified to see another obstacle in her way plus all that afterlife crap. It's hard enough to be a woman in this world. Add to that being black <em>and</em> a lesbian? Fuck."</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Hey."</p>
<p>"Is she still here?"</p>
<p>"You just missed her," Melvin said. "She left maybe twenty minutes ago."</p>
<p>"Right," Kate said.</p>
<p>"I think she'll be fine," Melvin said, speculating on Kate's sudden appearance at his door. "She's been prepping for days."</p>
<p>"Of course," Kate said. "Yea, I was just… just curious. Thanks," she said with a half nod, backing away from the door.</p>
<p>"It couldn't hurt to send her a message though," Melvin encouraged. "I know she'd appreciate it."</p>
<p>"She'll be fine," Kate repeated, turning to leave.</p>
<p>"Kate," Melvin said, trying to get a read on her mood when she looked back. "You going anywhere for break?"</p>
<p>"I'm… not sure yet," Kate said cryptically.</p>
<p>"Well, if you're around this week, James left his copy of that new assassin video game."</p>
<p>"Oh?"</p>
<p>"And it has a 2-player option."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>part 2/2 of this Sunday update. Not sure if the split-up was relevant, but it feels better to me.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"No, no, no!" Melvin shouted, tossing his controller to the side as his character took a knife to the back.</p>
<p>"You do this every time!"</p>
<p>"He snuck up behind me," Melvin pleaded.</p>
<p>"And I'd believe you if this hadn't happened a bajillion times already. The game doesn't change each time you respawn," Kate complained back as her fingers deftly navigated the controller in an effort to fight off the thugs that were now surrounding her.</p>
<p>"You're gonna die," Melvin said.</p>
<p>"You don't… ugh… you don't know that," Kate said, caught up in the game.</p>
<p>"You can't pass this level without me," Melvin teased. They'd been stuck on this stage for the last hour with only incremental success.</p>
<p>"Shut up," Kate shot back.</p>
<p>"I'm hungry," Melvin said, feeling the grumble of hunger now that his concentration from the game was broken. "You want pizza?"</p>
<p>"Don't care," Kate said, her eyes narrowed in concentration as her on-screen character fled for higher ground to separate herself from the mob of bad guys.</p>
<p>"Extra olives?"</p>
<p>"Sure," Kate auto-replied, paying no real attention to Melvin's words.</p>
<p>"Ok..." Melvin replied with a smirk as he picked up his phone to order. At the same time the screen illuminated with an incoming call. "Hello?... Hey… wait, you what?... hold on, I… hey, Kate can you pause?"</p>
<p>"And destroy my momentum? Go in the hall," Kate growled back.</p>
<p>"Hang on, sorry," Melvin continued, making his way to the door.</p>
<p>He returned a minute later just as Kate let out a cry of disappointment, her attempts at carrying out the mission solo failed.</p>
<p>"What'd you order?" Kate asked. "No olives, right?"</p>
<p>"That was Sophie," Melvin explained. "She just had her interview."</p>
<p>Kate didn't look away from the game menu on the screen. "So does that mean you haven't ordered pizza yet?"</p>
<p>"I… don't you want to know how it went?"</p>
<p>"No."</p>
<p>"Really? B-but why?"</p>
<p>"Because I already know how it went," Kate said plainly.</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"She got the job."</p>
<p>"How did you know?"</p>
<p>"Because it's Sophie," Kate explained as though she were describing gravity to a child. "And Bruce messaged me about it ages ago; he wanted to know if I'd be in town."</p>
<p>"Wha-what? But she only just had her interview," Melvin gaped.</p>
<p>Kate shrugged. "The in person interview is really just a formality. She'll probably have an onboarding meeting soon to help set her up-"</p>
<p>"Tomorrow, she said. She's staying the night in Gotham."</p>
<p>"Makes sense. She's already there," Kate shrugged.</p>
<p>A moment passed as Kate returned her attention to the screen, navigating to reset the latest level.</p>
<p>"You gonna order pizza or what?" she asked, looking up at him still standing in thought.</p>
<p>"That's it?"</p>
<p>Kate's face scrunched lightly in confusion. "I said no olives," she offered.</p>
<p>"No," Melvin said, shaking his head. "That's not what… Sophie just landed one of the most sought after internships in the country, and that's all you've got to say about it?"</p>
<p>Kate's confusion soured to a scowl. "What exactly are you looking for me to say?"</p>
<p>"I don't know… don't you at least want to… to I don't know, message her? Congratulate her, maybe?"</p>
<p>"No," she replied simply. "Now are we gonna play or what?"</p>
<p>Melvin sighed in disappointment. "Let me order first."</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Ms. Moore?"</p>
<p>Sophie was pulled back from her thoughts by the sound of a knock and a voice joining her in the office. "Hi?"</p>
<p>"Am I interrupting?"</p>
<p>"Oh, no, no - just finished sharing the good news with a friend."</p>
<p>"Very well. I just wanted to pop in before I leave for the day and formally introduce myself. I'm Lucius Fox, head of the Wayne Foundation that funds your work. I will be overseeing you and the other three interns this summer."</p>
<p>"Oh, that's great, good to meet you."</p>
<p>"We can chat more tomorrow when the others are here, but, and don't tell anyone I said this, Bruce mentioned he was particularly excited about you," Lucius said. There was a fatherly warmth about him that put her at ease, but she could tell that behind that was a quiet intelligence. His wardrobe matched it perfectly: a blazer over a sweater over a tie and button up. It was March, but certainly it wasn't that cold out. "Will you be joining Bruce and the others?"</p>
<p>Lucius was referencing the welcome mixer that had been set up for them, although Bruce advised it was less of a mixer and more of a corporate obligation to the politically connected who wanted to latch themselves to the good things Wayne Enterprises was doing. The candor had caught Sophie off guard, but she was beginning to sense that there were multiple sides to Bruce.</p>
<p>"Yes, for a little while. At least to meet the others."</p>
<p>"Well, don't get too rowdy. We have plenty to review tomorrow," he said with a smile. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I am running late to meet my son. Congratulations Ms. Moore."</p>
<p>"Thank you, sir."</p>
<hr/>
<p>"What are you doing?" Kate called out in frustration. "You just stopped in the middle of the room and now - ah, damnit Melvin."</p>
<p>Kate gaped. "What did you do that for?"</p>
<p>"Sorry."</p>
<p>"Sorry? That's what you have to say? We were so close!" Kate scowled between him and the stats log running from the latest round.</p>
<p>Kate slumped into the couch, her arms crossed grumpily.</p>
<p>"Can we talk?"</p>
<p>"Isn't that what we're doing now?" Kate sighed as her fingers fidgeted with the controller.</p>
<p>"Y-yea, but I want to talk about something specific."</p>
<p>"We aren't talking about her," Kate scowled, reading Melvin's hesitation and realizing the reason for them losing was out of his distraction.</p>
<p>"Why not?"</p>
<p>"Because there's nothing to say," she replied, setting the controller aside.</p>
<p>"But what happened?"</p>
<p>"We both know she's already told you," Kate said, getting more and more agitated as the conversation went on.</p>
<p>"Yes, but I want to hear it from you. Because the last time we talked at the end of term, I thought you wouldn't be back, Kate. And then you were, and I just… why won't you talk to her?"</p>
<p>"I talk to her plenty," Kate shot back.</p>
<p>"That's not what I mean," Melvin said, alluding to their weekly sessions. "There's no reason you two can't be friends. You were before all of this - is it really too much to go back to that?"</p>
<p>"Yes," Kate said sharply.</p>
<p>"But… but why? You two were inseparable even before you started dating. Even if you don't love her anymore, you aren't someone who just stops caring, Kate."</p>
<p>"Who says I did?"</p>
<p>"You have some way of showing it," Melvin said in disbelief. "Not even apart two months and you were off hooking up with some fourth year," he accused.</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"I'm not an idiot Kate. All those nights you never come home? The less than subtle glances with that V person? You're never around because you're always with her. Admit it."</p>
<p>"So what if I am?" Kate shot back defensively.</p>
<p>"That's not who you are," Melvin argued.</p>
<p>"You have no idea who I am. I was alive for eighteen years before you met me."</p>
<p>"Well you are fooling everyone here then, because I sure as hell don't get why you're doing this."</p>
<p>"I'm not any different, Melvin."</p>
<p>"Yes, you are. The Kate I know wouldn't do this. She wouldn't be going out to bars and hooking up with some random chick and ignoring her friends. The Kate I know is madly in love with Sophie, and she'd do anything to make things right."</p>
<p>"It's not that simple," Kate argued back. It wasn't a lie. She'd spent the semester feeling the familiar weight of loss and fell into the habits that made her numb to it. She had plenty of experience with this in her teenage years. When Jacob wasn't there to keep her in check and motivated, she found other, less savory hobbies to fill her time and the emptiness she never truly got over. Now that a similar hole had found its way into her life in Sophie's decision, the days filled with training sessions and the nights at bars or with Veronica were the temporary salve she needed to get through the days.</p>
<p>"Why not?"</p>
<p>"Because."</p>
<p>"Kate," Melvin said, his tone of frustration fading into one of concern.</p>
<p>"Because I'm not… I'm not done being angry. I'm not… I know logically I should accept it, but I can't look at her and not feel that rejection all over again."</p>
<p>"You get it was never you though, right?" Melvin asked cautiously, beginning to understand Kate's motivations.</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"She wasn't rejecting you," Melvin said slowly. "She was rejecting herself."</p>
<p>"And that's just supposed to help me forgive her?" Kate asked, feeling the growing weight of her earlier conversation with Veronica chastise her for her words.</p>
<p>"Doesn't it?" Melvin asked in surprise.</p>
<p>"I don't know," Kate admitted. "No… at least, not right now."</p>
<hr/>
<p>"I was hoping Kate would be here. She hates these things almost as much as I do." The voice appeared as if by magic next to Sophie. She jumped and only barely managed to hold her tongue from slipping out a small curse of surprise as Bruce Wayne slid up next to her. If she didn't know any better, she could have sworn he was trying his hardest to hide the edges of a small smirk from appearing.</p>
<p>"I can't imagine why. This has all the allure of a funeral."</p>
<p>"It's missing the floral arrangements," Bruce remarked easily. "Rookie mistake. I'll remember that for next time."</p>
<p>"Maybe less cake, too."</p>
<p>"You think?"</p>
<p>"Makes it feel like a wedding. Or a birthday party. Sends mixed messages and really kills the vibe."</p>
<p>"Pun intended?"</p>
<p>"That's not a pun."</p>
<p>"'Kills'? You sure?"</p>
<p>"Pretty sure," Sophie replied.</p>
<p>"Or just not intended."</p>
<p>"No, just not a pun."</p>
<p>"Hmm," Bruce conceded, giving his glass a small swirl before taking a sip. She'd talked with Bruce on three occasions, but this was the first she wasn't doing so sitting across from him with terror and anxiety pulsing through her veins. Now that those filters were off, she couldn't help but note obvious similarities between him and Kate. She knew they were fairly close growing up - even given the age gap, but she didn't think they'd have so many traits in common. Aside from being unfairly naturally attractive, they both had quiet a confidence about themselves. Kate was more outgoing in her personality but they both held their emotions in check. Perhaps stoicism was a Kane trait. Or perhaps it was something that they both shared as a result of mutual childhood trauma.</p>
<p>They had a practiced way of navigating a conversation that Sophie could only dream of. Where Kate was able to make people feel immediately at ease, Bruce's knack was finding common ground in most conversations, often playing moderator or, even more powerfully, watching silently. It was clear between the two of them that Bruce's ego was bigger, rightfully so given the latest successes coming out of Wayne Tech, but Sophie imagined that, together, the duo would make quite the super team. It took Sophie by surprise when the dry humor she'd known as a signature Kate Kane trait also resided with Bruce Wayne. It made him surprisingly down-to-earth for how powerful he was as CEO of a multi-billion dollar company.</p>
<p>"How is she? I haven't seen her since last summer," he asked by way of small talk. Having only discussed her education, work experience, and professional merits, he knew little else about her. Kate was what existed in the intersection of their venn diagram.</p>
<p>"Really? I didn't think she had gone anywhere; wasn't she in Gotham over winter break?" Sophie asked in surprise.</p>
<p>Bruce gave her a curious look. "Aren't you two together?"</p>
<p>"Oh, no. We broke up," Sophie said simply. She wasn't necessarily surprised Bruce didn't know, but she wondered if Kate had intentionally withheld that bit of trivia from him.</p>
<p>"Mm, sorry to hear," he said with a tone that suggested anything but. "Good thing I wasn't hiring you as a favor to her, otherwise this would have just gotten a hell of a lot more awkward."</p>
<p>"That's… good to hear," Sophie said, not sure how much she should read it as a compliment.</p>
<p>"I'd say I'm surprised, but she's not known for being relationship material. I was more surprised when she told me she was dating you," he continued.</p>
<p>"Sorry?"</p>
<p>"Flaky, noncommittal, a bit too stubborn to be vulnerable and far too guarded to take on feelings," he rattled off from years of experience. "It was only a matter of time before she bailed."</p>
<p>"Oh, no, no, she… it wasn't - I… actually I broke up with her," Sophie clarified poorly.</p>
<p>Bruce's brow raised in surprise before he sighed in exasperation. "What was it?"</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"Did she cheat?" Bruce accused with a small scowl of annoyance. "She really can be her own worst enemy-"</p>
<p>"What? No, she wouldn't… no, she didn't cheat," Sophie quickly clarified, surprised by Bruce's assessment of the situation.</p>
<p>Befuddled wasn't a feeling Bruce was familiar with, but the extent of their conversation about his cousin was not following precedent. He prided himself on deciphering quickly how people ticked, and he'd had his cousin down pat for years. It was like a storybook he'd read over and over.</p>
<p>"So what happened?"</p>
<p>"It wasn't anything she did. She was… actually, she fought to stay together," Sophie said cryptically, unsure how far to tread into the waters of their relationship.</p>
<p>Bruce nodded thoughtfully before breaking into a practiced smirk. Sophie noted it didn't suit him - not because he didn't look attractive when he smiled, it was just so obviously fake; she wondered if people really fell for it. "Well, Kanes aren't the easiest people to love. Refill?" he asked, gesturing at the glass of ice in Sophie's hand.</p>
<p>"No, I'm good, thanks," Sophie replied, feeling compelled to correct Bruce's perception of Kate and their relationship. Instead she held her tongue, realizing that kind of tone wouldn't land well after he'd just offered her the opportunity of a lifetime.</p>
<p>"Very well. There are two people in this room I've been avoiding like the plague. I'd best go pay my dues before it turns violent," Bruce continued. "Congratulations again, Ms. Moore; it is a position well earned."</p>
<p>"Thank you, sir."</p>
<p>"Bruce, please. A car will take you to your hotel whenever you're ready. Get some rest tonight; tomorrow is going to be tedious and boring," he smirked. "Lucius Fox has a way of being both brilliant and incredibly dry. The latter seems to be a curse of the former."</p>
<p>Sophie nodded as she watched Bruce offer the same practiced smile to someone who looked every part the Gotham politician standing across the room. A beaming grin in response proved Bruce's falsity worked on most, and a wave of greeting cemented his departure.</p>
<p>"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to pretend to care about the mayor's concern over the rumor of some oversized reptile wandering the sewers."</p>
<p>"She is," Sophie said as he stepped away.</p>
<p>"She? Who?" Bruce asked, doing a double take at Sophie's words.</p>
<p>"You said the Kanes aren't easy people to love. Kate is."</p>
<p>A small twinkle appeared in Bruce's eye, and Sophie couldn't help but note another similarity between the cousins: when genuine, their smirks were both disarming.</p>
<p>"Then I stand corrected," he said with a small nod before navigating toward a group of men who were clearly two or three decades his senior.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Aren't you supposed to be halfway across the country by now?" Kate called out as she shut the motel door behind her.</p>
<p>"<em>Apparently</em> you aren't allowed to rent a car if your license is expired," Veronica sighed.</p>
<p>A chuckle escaped Kate as she shed her jacket and tossed it onto a dilapidated armchair in the corner.</p>
<p>"How did you not check that?"</p>
<p>"I thought it lasted ten years! It's highway robbery to make me renew it every five. You know they make you pay for it each time?"</p>
<p>Kate just smirked as she surveyed Veronica lounging casually on the bed.</p>
<p>"What's worse is now I have no idea how to get home."</p>
<p>"What do you mean?"</p>
<p>"You need a valid id to fly."</p>
<p>"Take my jet," Kate replied easily.</p>
<p>"<em>You</em> have a jet?"</p>
<p>"No," Kate smirked. "Just get a new one here."</p>
<p>"And become a New York resident? No thank you. I'll hitchhike my way back to California before I sign myself over to the east coast."</p>
<p>"About the batteries," Kate said, pivoting Veronica away from a monologue about how much better the west coast was. "Was that a joke, or…"</p>
<p>"Did you not bring them?" Veronica said, sitting up in disappointment.</p>
<p>Kate had received a message shortly after leaving Melvin's room for the night from Veronica asking if she was up and to bring batteries. When Veronica said she already had a room, Kate inferred her message as an explicit rendezvous.</p>
<p>"You were serious?" Kate asked with a chuckle.</p>
<p>"Why wouldn't I be?"</p>
<p>"Maybe because it's after midnight and you didn't bother including what type to get?"</p>
<p>Veronica sighed dramatically into the pillow behind her.</p>
<p>"But lucky for you," Kate said, reaching back into her jacket pocket, "the convenience store is open 24 hours and they have a whole slew of options."</p>
<p>She tossed a bag next to Veronica who rolled back up, a smile the size of the cheshire cat's on her face as she dug into it.</p>
<p>"Perfect," Veronica said, pulling out a set of AA batteries.</p>
<p>"What do you need them for?" Kate asked, although she had a guess.</p>
<p>"Depends; how wild do you wanna get tonight?"</p>
<hr/>
<p>Sophie turned off the overhead light of the hotel room. She'd left the lamp on to help navigate back to the bed but was instead struck by the brilliance of the city lights flooding through the windows and overpowering the single bulb.</p>
<p>Wayne Enterprises had booked her in an all-expensed hotel room a block down from Wayne Tower. It was top-to-bottom the picture of wealth and status. Only on tv had she ever seen spaces this grand and decadent. With the exception of the night the summer before when she stayed at Kate's, she couldn't recall ever having been anywhere as extravagant.</p>
<p>It was the kind of place that charged for wifi by the hour, but it was also a place where that didn't matter because anyone who stayed here didn't give such measly sums of cash a second thought. Growing up, her parents wouldn't have humored a glance at a hotel like this, and yet here she stood in her own suite staring out at the blinking city skyline below. Not above; <em>below</em>.</p>
<p>She stood there for a few minutes, taking in the small pride in her accomplishment when a tiny pang of sadness hit her. Her entire life had been one of focus and planning. It had been about doing the right thing, working diligently, and not letting anything interrupt that trajectory. But for all of that, there was one thing that kept her from truly celebrating: she missed Kate.</p>
<p>She shook herself to get rid of the thought, knowing it was an empty gesture that wouldn't make it go away and instead took a step closer to the glass. After hearing Kate's voice in the room with Melvin hours earlier, she'd felt a tiny hope that she might reach out. This faded into familiar disappointment when the hours ticked by into the early hours of the morning and still nothing but silence resonated through their unused line of communication.</p>
<p>Out of sheer curiosity, she had navigated down the list of text messages and landed on Kate's contact. It had been one day shy of sixteen weeks since the last incoming message. It was a string of three messages from Kate asking where she was. They were spaced out over an hour. She felt a sinking feeling as she recalled with vivid detail the minutes that followed. She'd been hiding, afraid to say what she needed to for weeks. Every day that she kept quiet slowly ate at her and only made it harder and harder to tell Kate she needed to end things. She'd given herself a deadline to do it before Thanksgiving and had hoped she could hold on a little while longer by 'missing' Kate. This would give her another four days to build up the courage. Then the sound of Kate bursting through her door changed everything.</p>
<p>Sophie blinked away the memory, instead fast-forwarding to her conversation with V from over two weeks earlier. That it had taken her by surprise was an understatement, and it only left her more confused about her feelings toward Kate. Of course, that wasn't entirely true: she knew exactly how she felt about Kate. What confused her was that she couldn't make those feelings stop. She wasn't used to failing; usually once she set her mind to something she could make it work, but this had her stumped. Part of her was frustrated by it, but part of her didn't want to let the feelings go. She'd never been in love before, and while there was something raw and exposed about those feelings, there was a larger part that made her feel whole for having them.</p>
<p>It had also been nearly two weeks since Kate and Sophie's last session when things had ended with Sophie concussed and Kate racked with guilt. Kate had cancelled the week prior; she received the message through Reyes who told her sessions would begin again following spring break. This meant it would be three weeks before Sophie would have a scheduled chance of seeing her again. There was one option she considered but didn't expect it to have much effect.</p>
<p>She scanned the skyline one last time, trying to imprint it to memory. There was a good chance she'd never have an opportunity at a view like this again, and she wanted to soak up as much of it as she could. It was only then that she saw the faint glow in the sky that she had only ever seen in pictures or the nightly news. The overcast sky provided it the perfect canvas for the beam of light that projected the city's symbol of hope.</p>
<p>It surprised her just how the mere presence of it comforted her. Granted, from what she understood, the light was only ever on because the city needed him.</p>
<p>She'd never seen the Batman and certainly had no reason to consider him a significant part of her life. Growing up on the outskirts of Gotham meant she heard the stories, but crime was never significant enough where she lived to warrant his presence. And yet, looking out at it beaming up at the cloud line gave her a small hope that the tiny demoralized voice in her head had given up on.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"How is it…" Veronica began before a soft grunt caught in her throat, "that you... can be so good at this?"</p>
<p>She was winded, and Kate was surprised by how much she was enjoying it.</p>
<p>"I guess I'm just a natural," Kate smirked as she flicked her wrist to the side.</p>
<p>"You're sure… ugh. You're sure you've never done this before?"</p>
<p>"You know, you'd stand a fighting chance if you quit smoking," Kate said lightly. "40-love."</p>
<p>"No wait, I'm not… gah," Veronica groaned. "I wasn't ready!"</p>
<p>"That's match," Kate said, tossing the controller onto the mattress as she collapsed next to it.</p>
<p>"Rematch?"</p>
<p>"Haven't you lost enough?"</p>
<p>"I'm just getting warmed up," Veronica said, rolling her shoulders. "How do you feel about baseball?"</p>
<p>"You know, this isn't exactly what I had in mind when you asked for batteries," Kate said.</p>
<p>"So is that a yes or no? Cause we could do bowling instead."</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"There's bowling, too," Veronica explained lightly, navigating through the main menu.</p>
<p>"What's gotten into you?"</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"You invited me to a motel and all we've done is play virtual tennis all night."</p>
<p>"So?"</p>
<p>"So, that's not usually how our nights unfold."</p>
<p>Veronica shrugged. "Are you disappointed?"</p>
<p>Kate faltered, pausing in thought for a moment as she felt the tug of Melvin's words from earlier weigh into her response. Before she could formulate it though, a ping from her phone interrupted the conversation. Half-expecting it to be Melvin, she looked and was shocked to see a message from Bruce:</p>
<p>
  <em>BW: how is it I've learned more about you in ten minutes from my newest intern than in ten months from you?</em>
</p>
<p>"So?"</p>
<p>"Hm, what?" Kate said, glancing up from the screen as she tried to suppress the flush rising in her cheeks. "Oh, right. No, I guess not."</p>
<p>"Great," Veronica grinned happily. "And tell lover boy he already had his fun; you're mine for the night."</p>
<p>"Sure," Kate smirked, not bothering to explain.</p>
<p>"Now how 'bout some bowling?"</p>
<p>"Fine, but first round is practice," Kate called out, throwing her phone onto the nightstand and grabbing the discarded controller.</p>
<p>"No way. If tennis is any indication, this is the only round I have a chance of winning."</p>
<hr/>
<p>Sophie had lost track of the hour, mesmerized by the activity playing out on the streets below and the soft creak that swayed the highrise with each guest of wind. She had just stepped back from the window nearly an hour earlier when a silhouette hurling itself through the air caught her eye. A blink and it was gone. She scoured the rooftops for a few moments before sighting it again. It moved quickly with a cape billowing behind before catapulting over across a street intersection, swinging at the last second from an invisible wire that connected the outstretched arm to some unknown fixing.</p>
<p>It wasn't until she felt her forehead against the cool glass that she realized she'd been craning her neck to get a closer look. Instead, she was interrupted by the transparent barrier as her breath sent a small fog over it. She watched like this for a few minutes, anticipating the Batman would disappear at any moment. When he finally did, Sophie sighed in disappointment but continued scanning, holding out hope he'd return. After a few minutes she pulled up a chair and curled up in it, gazing out.</p>
<p>Only then did she start seeing the nuances of the city below. For being the dead of night, it was riddled with activity. Growing up in a quiet neighborhood where the only thing open all night was a corner Walgreens, this was a new world to her. Taxis navigated the city streets, slowing to dodge pedestrians drunkenly making their way home. On a rare occasion the two interacted and a pedestrian would stumble into the back seat. Lights flicked on and off in various buildings. The office buildings surrounding her had lights set on timers that went off as cleaning crews tackled different floors. Even for as high as she was, if she strained her ears she could hear the overground train passing by like clockwork.</p>
<p>It was only when she couldn't keep her eyes open that she stumbled back to bed. Blearily she sent one more hopeful glance at her phone before sighing sadly and resting her head against the soft pillow.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The light glowed brightly on Kate's face as she stared at her phone's screen. Veronica was sleeping soundly next to her as she idly flipped through old messages waiting for a notification to appear. When it did, she let out a small smirk and continued the conversation:</p>
<p>
  <em>BW: it's a bit late to be messaging cuz</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>KK: you started it</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>BW: yes… two hours ago</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>KK: well you've always been a night owl</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>BW: are you out?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>KK: depends on your definition of the phrase</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>BW: funny. everything good?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>KK: right as rain</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>BW: i've never understood that phrase</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>KK: it's british</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>BW: of course. when are you back in gotham?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>KK: summer</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>BW: pencil me in. you owe me dinner</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>KK: for what?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>BW: for bailing in december</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>KK: i didn't bail</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>BW: you ignored me. a whole month in gotham without a word</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>KK: fine. but it'll be blue box</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>BW: as long as you don't make alfred cook it</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>KK: deal. night cuz</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know, I know. What a positively lame way to end this chapter, right? Don't worry. It's gonna get good super fast, I promise. Some of this is stage-setting for future chapters that I may or may not ever get around to writing (they'll probably find their way into the 'outtakes' story if I'm honest).</p>
<p>Up next is the penultimate chapter of this flashback term. It'll be posted sometime between now and Friday with the finale coming next weekend (I think).</p>
<p>As always and always, thank you for investing time in this; it means a boat load.</p>
<p>Cheers,<br/>EQT.95</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hi all,</p>
<p>We're in the final stretch of this flashback term! I already know what happens, and I'm still excited. Here's the penultimate bit. I'm still working through it, but this weekend's finale may flood over into two chapters, so keep an eye out for that. I'll flag with an author's note if that's the plan.</p>
<p>As always, y'all are great and thank you, thank you for the reads and reviews.</p>
<p>Cheers,<br/>EQT.95</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kate stared past the raucous around the pool table, beyond the crowd grouped near the plush furniture and toward the exterior glass that was blackened by the night behind it. The noise had slowly faded from its role as a distraction as the night progressed, and Kate felt a longing to be alone. She didn't hate many things, but she hated this night and what it would eventually transition into.</p>
<p>She glanced at her watch and scowled. She'd hoped it was later but couldn't stand the thought of staying a minute longer. After a sigh of resignation, she scanned for her jacket and navigated toward it. Setting down the warm, half-full beer she'd been nursing all night, she quickly picked up and slipped on the coat.</p>
<p>Another wave of laughter was enough distraction to slip out without drawing much attention. She'd spent the better part of the night on the periphery of conversations, keeping her involvement limited. She wanted the distraction but couldn't commit the energy needed to keep up with the social aspect. Finally, she allowed herself to escape, and she made her way toward the door when a voice called her back.</p>
<p>"Hey, Kate, hold up a sec."</p>
<p>"Oh, hey," she said as casually as she could.</p>
<p>"Everything ok?" Veronica asked, walking to her.</p>
<p>"What? Yea," Kate feigned surprise.</p>
<p>"Really? Because it's not even midnight, and you've got your jacket on," Veronica continued skeptically.</p>
<p>"I'm just going to call it early. Long week ahead, and I've neglected a mountain of homework."</p>
<p>"Homework is why you've looked like a zombie all night?" Veronica asked, her doubt apparent.</p>
<p>"I always look like a zombie."</p>
<p>"Seriously."</p>
<p>"Yea, you know… midterms are coming up, and I slacked all break," Kate said with a forced smile that made Veronica scowl.</p>
<p>"Want any company?" Veronica asked but could see Kate was already distractedly glancing at the door.</p>
<p>"No, that's ok; I won't get anything done with you around."</p>
<p>"Not wrong there," Veronica winked. "Message one of us when you get back, yea?"</p>
<p>"Yea."</p>
<p>"She ok?" Rory asked when Kate finally left.</p>
<p>"I'm not sure," Veronica said, a small scowl on her face.</p>
<p>"What's that? The all-knowing Ronica is in the dark?"</p>
<p>"Shut up, and give me your phone," Veronica said, holding out her hand.</p>
<p>"Can I get a 'please' in there?" Rory scowled.</p>
<p>"<em>Please</em>," Veronica sighed.</p>
<p>"Better," Rory said, slipping it from her back pocket. "What do you need it for?"</p>
<p>"I need a number."</p>
<p>"Who do I know that you don't?"</p>
<p>"Sophie Moore."</p>
<hr/>
<p>Kate let out a small sigh of relief when she opened the door to 409 and found it empty. Chelsea had returned early from break to Kate's surprise, and she was secretly banking on her taking advantage of Tony's roommate still being out of town for some continued solace. A quick message confirmed her plans for the night, and Kate flipped on a lamp and tossed her phone and jacket on the bed before collapsing onto the couch. It wasn't as comfortable hers and she regretted that she'd left it to 403. She wondered for an impractical moment whether Melvin would mind swapping the two out before realizing how ridiculous an image that would be. Not to mention Chelsea would be mortified to know her couch had resided in a boy's dorm for even a moment.</p>
<p>A knock drew her thoughts back to the dimly lit dorm. She glanced at the time and considered letting it go unanswered when the soft rap came again. With a small sigh she rose and walked to it.</p>
<p>"Hi," Sophie said cautiously when Kate opened it.</p>
<p>"No," Kate said, swinging the door closed.</p>
<p>"No, wait-" she said, reaching her arm out to stop the door. "Just… I just need a second."</p>
<p>"I'm not in the mood tonight, Sophie."</p>
<p>"Look, I-I know. And I know I'm the last person you want to see right now, but I just didn't… I wanted to make sure you were ok."</p>
<p>"I'm fine," Kate said tersely, her jaw set.</p>
<p>"No you aren't," Sophie challenged back, noting that there was a good chance Kate was half a second from slamming the door on her face. "You look miles from fine."</p>
<p>"75."</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"We're 75 miles from Fine, New York."</p>
<p>"That's a weird thing to know."</p>
<p>"Parlor tricks."</p>
<p>The beginning of a smile fell as Kate's words sank in. While this wasn't the indifferent Kate Sophie had come to see all semester, this still wasn't her Kate either. This Kate wore a mask to navigate life. This was the Kate from Gotham; the clever, quick-witted Kate with endless retorts and deflections who built up walls and lived one fleeting moment to the next, never letting herself be truly seen.</p>
<p>She'd had brief run-ins with this Kate before: she always made appearances when confronted with something that challenged her to be vulnerable. In hindsight, Sophie knew this was the Kate she'd met on her first day at Point Rock but it had slowly dissolved into the real Kate; her Kate.</p>
<p>"Do you want to talk about it?"</p>
<p>"There's nothing to talk about. Now please leave," Kate said, her eyes glancing at the way Sophie's fingers had shifted to intentionally wrap around the door frame.</p>
<p>"So it being March 23rd doesn't have anything to do with it?" Sophie challenged back.</p>
<p>Kate didn't say anything. She simply glared, her brow set in a scowl as she tried to silently bluff her way into making Sophie leave. A long moment passed in this silent standoff before Kate finally huffed and stepped away from Sophie.</p>
<p>For her part, Sophie knew better than to take this as an invitation to enter Kate's room. Instead she lingered at the doorway, watching Kate indecisively pause at her bed, then her desk, then the couch. Finally she turned back to Sophie; her scowl was gone. It had slowly been replaced with the feelings of loss and mourning that came with this day every year.</p>
<p>Kate crossed the room back toward the door. "Can you please just go?"</p>
<p>It wasn't commanded with anger like the previous times. In fact, all anger had left Kate. Instead it was a plea. A plea to be left alone to sink into those feelings of loss.</p>
<p>Sophie stared back at Kate, seeing the pain in the slight rounding of Kate's shoulders and the softness of her eyes.</p>
<p>"Ten minutes."</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"I'm going to wait here for ten minutes. If after that you still want me to go, I'll go."</p>
<p>Sophie waited as she watched Kate formulate her rejection and was surprised when she gave a small nod instead. It surprised her again when Kate silently slid to the floor and leaned against her bedframe. Sophie mimicked the gesture, sliding to sit, using the door frame as a backrest and straddling the division between Kate's room and the hall.</p>
<p>Minutes passed in silence, and Sophie wondered if Kate was simply biding her time until the tenth minute, but that too came and went without a word. She glanced inward to Kate and saw her gaze was set straight ahead, unmoved from when she first sat. Sophie wanted to ask what she was thinking about but knew better; this wasn't the moment to push Kate. Instead she too stayed silent and unmoving.</p>
<p>Another five minutes passed like this before a word was said:</p>
<p>"She was so much better than me."</p>
<p>The words startled Sophie.</p>
<p>"You don't give yourself enough credit," Sophie replied lightly.</p>
<p>Another minute passed in continued silence.</p>
<p>"My dad… Jacob was so taken by her. Everyone was. And rightfully so. Parents aren't supposed to have favorites, but Beth… it's like, we were so similar in so many ways but at the same time the exact opposite. I was such a little shit, always making problems and causing messes. I was the delinquent always trying to get Beth to join in."</p>
<p>Sophie saw the traces of a fond memory flash across Kate's face.</p>
<p>"There was this one time I convinced her to let me sit in on her math class. She was terrible at it, and Mr. Dougherty was half-blind and could never tell us apart."</p>
<p>Sophie smirked at the thought of the twins pulling one over on their teachers.</p>
<p>"We got into so much trouble when mom found out. She promised not to tell dad if we went and fessed up about it. I tried arguing my way out of it, but Beth folded immediately. The thing is, Beth only got into trouble because I convinced her to do it; she was ok getting a bad grade as long as it was done honestly."</p>
<p>"Dad was always livid with me, but Beth… Beth was all the things anyone ever wanted: clever, intuitive, creative, good. She was so sincere and <em>good</em>."</p>
<p>"Kate-"</p>
<p>"I hate that it was her," Kate admitted quietly. "Jacob would never admit it, but he thinks it too. He loved her more, and-and that's ok, you know? I don't blame him, because, well, because I loved her too. She was half of me. Beth took after my mom, and mom was… the best. I wish it wasn't... I wish it had been me that day-"</p>
<p>"Stop," Sophie said, unwilling and unable to let Kate finish her thought. "You are… Kate, you are so much more than you let yourself see."</p>
<p>"You have a pretty skewed impression then."</p>
<p>"No I don't," Sophie replied, half unable to comprehend the words coming from Kate.</p>
<p>"So which part am I not seeing? The part that was selfish for climbing out of the car first? The part that didn't think smart enough to convince her to follow? The part that was too cowardly to go back and save her?"</p>
<p>Sophie wasn't sure why she was so caught off guard by Kate's words. Perhaps it was because she hid her feelings so well or because she couldn't imagine that Kate could believe them in the first place. But one thing was becoming abundantly clear: these weren't once-a-year feelings. These thoughts were ingrained in who Kate saw herself as, and it explained why she lived and operated the way she did. Sophie had deduced parts of this side of Kate over time, but it was only now, on this rare occasion that she was granted a glimpse into all of the vulnerability.</p>
<p>"You aren't that thirteen year old girl anymore, Kate. You are every one of those things and more. I… I'm actually… do you not realize how much you resonate those qualities? Do you really not see it? You're working yourself to the point of being a martyr for this damn school. You are one of the most natural leaders I've ever known; you-you stir something in even the most stubborn and difficult to reach people, and you're braver than nearly anyone I know. You see through the bullshit and fight, Kate. You are anything but selfish or cowardly or unintelligent."</p>
<p>"I wish things had been different," Sophie continued. "I wish you could have grown up with Beth by your side, but I'll never wish it could've been her over you."</p>
<p>"That's because you never met her."</p>
<p>"But I've met you. And maybe you're right. Maybe Beth was everything you say, but that doesn't dull your brilliance, Kate."</p>
<p>Kate stared at the wall across from her, unspeaking for a moment. "Did you practice that?"</p>
<p>"All day in front of the mirror," Sophie replied lightly.</p>
<p>"Mm, knew it. It felt rehearsed."</p>
<p>"As long as it didn't feel scripted…"</p>
<p>"There were a few moments, but generally it sounded natural."</p>
<p>"I'll let my writers know," Sophie winked and saw the tug of a smile on Kate's lips. "I mean it though. Knowing you, I might as well be talking to that wall you're scowling at, but I'm glad you're alive. I'm glad you're here."</p>
<p>"I miss them," Kate said softly, sobering from their brief banter.</p>
<p>"I know."</p>
<p>"And this year just feels… harder? I don't know. I want to make them proud, but I don't feel like anything I've done makes up for the two best people I've ever known dying. I don't know how to compensate for that."</p>
<p>Sophie paused in thought. She wanted to tell Kate to snap out of it and think about it rationally, but that would be a severe oversimplification of the situation. This thinking wasn't based in rational thought; it was the guilt Kate carried for surviving.</p>
<p>"If you were a normal person I'd tell you that them dying doesn't mean you need to do three times more good to make up for it. But you're not a normal person, otherwise that conversation would have worked on you years ago. So instead, maybe… maybe don't try to do it all at once. You have the rest of your life to build an empire of good; it's irrational to think you could do it before you're legally allowed to drink."</p>
<p>Kate fell into silent thought at Sophie's words. On some level Sophie knew they'd have absolutely no effect on Kate's perception of herself, but a tiny part of her hoped Kate would give her perspective a second look.</p>
<p>"Thank you," Kate said genuinely. The words fell as a surprise on Sophie.</p>
<p>"I should be thanking you for not slamming the door in my face," Sophie said, trying to bring lightness back to the conversation.</p>
<p>"I was close," Kate smirked. "But you wouldn't look good with a broken nose."</p>
<p>"Honestly, I was surprised you opened it."</p>
<p>"Well, you weren't exactly the first person I expected to be behind the door," Kate admitted. "But I also wasn't really thinking it through."</p>
<p>"Fair. I'm about nine hours ahead of schedule; I prefer getting doors slammed in my face while the sun is up."</p>
<p>"Really?" Kate asked in surprise. "So why'd you come now?"</p>
<p>"A little bird messaged me."</p>
<p>"Who? Melvin?"</p>
<p>"V."</p>
<p>"Oh." Kate felt her stomach plummet as discomfort creeped all around her. Her eyes instinctively fell in unfamiliar shame. It wasn't that she thought what she had done was wrong, she just hated the feeling that came with revealing it to Sophie. She didn't know how V and Sophie knew each other, and in that moment it didn't cross her mind to ask. In that moment nothing crossed her mind except the irrational feeling that she'd just cheated on Sophie.</p>
<p>"She was concerned; said you weren't yourself," Sophie said to fill the emptiness between them. "She seems nice."</p>
<p>Kate remained silent, not trusting her voice to work.</p>
<p>A moment passed as Sophie built up the courage to ask what she'd already deduced: "Are you two…?"</p>
<p>Kate quickly shook her head. "I mean…no, it isn't… we aren't... it's casual."</p>
<p>Sophie watched as Kate fumbled with an explanation, her discomfort turning into a stream of words. It was strange enough to hear Kate try to articulate what her relationship to Veronica was, but it was even stranger to watch her dissolve into it with this kind of apologetic hesitation. Now it was Sophie's turn to remain quiet, dealing with the tidal wave of rejection that came with Kate's admission. Ever since her conversation with V from weeks earlier she'd had a suspicion that they weren't exclusively in the 'just friends' category. While V had alluded to not wanting a relationship with Kate, that didn't shake the worry she carried. Even if Kate's answer wasn't a full 'yes' it wasn't a full 'no' either, and something about the words drove home how different they were from months earlier.</p>
<p>"I should get going. It's late, and I'm sure Chelsea will be back any minute now," Sophie said softly after a moment.</p>
<p>"She's staying at Tony's tonight," Kate replied as Sophie rose to leave.</p>
<p>She wasn't entirely sure why she'd said it or what she expected to come out of it, but there was a sudden tug of loneliness at the thought of Sophie leaving her doorway. Mixed with that was also a pang of regret at her selfishness for poking a hole in Sophie's reason to leave.</p>
<p>Kate wasn't blind to the impact her response about Veronica was having on Sophie, and it occurred to her how much she'd taken her for granted all semester. This was the one person who had regularly shown up over and over to create something with Kate - even in the face of sure rejection. She'd appeared tonight expecting that rejection again but she still came nonetheless.</p>
<p>"Sophie, wait," Kate said, standing to meet her.</p>
<p>"I-I really should-"</p>
<p>"Why are you here?"</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"Why… you're here."</p>
<p>Sophie stared back confusedly.</p>
<p>"After everything… you still showed up tonight."</p>
<p>Sophie's head cocked to the side at Kate's words.</p>
<p>"I just… why are you here?"</p>
<p>"Why wouldn't I be?"</p>
<p>Kate could only stare back, Sophie's words landing just beyond her realm of comprehension.</p>
<p>"I'll always be here," Sophie said with a quiet tone of reassurance.</p>
<p>"But… why? Why wouldn't you… why?"</p>
<p>Sophie scowled in confusion. "Because I know what today is for you. Because I don't want you to feel alone."</p>
<p>Kate didn't respond. She couldn't. Sophie's words broke something in Kate in that moment, and she struggled to articulate it.</p>
<p>"I messed things up, and I get that means things between us are… different... but I'm always going to be here for you. Just because we aren't on great terms doesn't change that, Kate. Four months… it doesn't void that; I still love you the same."</p>
<p>Kate remained silent, blinking away the sting in her eyes as her brain worked overtime to remember words.</p>
<p>"Good night, Kate," Sophie said with a small smile.</p>
<p>"Sophie, wait, I…" Kate said suddenly, her mind racing to find the right words. She didn't know what she wanted to say yet, but she knew she couldn't let Sophie leave until she did.</p>
<p>Sophie paused at the entrance, her fingers on the handle to swing it closed. A moment passed and Sophie's gaze became nervous anticipation as Kate stood in thought before her. She was about to give Kate an out by excusing herself when she finally spoke:</p>
<p>"I'm sorry," Kate whispered. It was only after she uttered them that she knew they were right, and with it she felt a crack in the walls she'd been building over the last four months.</p>
<p>"Wh-what?" Sophie asked, more in surprise than anything.</p>
<p>"I shouldn't have… I…" Kate said, a rush of regret washing through her mind as it flashed through the last four months.</p>
<p>"Kate," Sophie said, seeing now the distress welling in Kate's eyes. "Wait, hold on… you - you've done nothing wrong."</p>
<p>"How can you say that?" Kate asked, feeling a tug at her heart for how willing Sophie was to overlook months of being dismissed.</p>
<p>"What do you mean? I don't understand, Kate. You're-"</p>
<p>"I've done so much… I've been so cruel and hateful toward you all semester. I've ignored and rejected you over and over. I was never there for you."</p>
<p>"What are you talking about? You've been there every week at the gym and-"</p>
<p>"But not really. Not… and with the interview and at the beginning of term when Melvin… when he asked me to… but I didn't. I couldn't. And here you are after all of that and I… I'm so… Soph, I'm so sorry."</p>
<p>Sophie watched the first tear break down Kate's cheek followed by a second and third. Instinct pulled Sophie across the threshold as she wrapped Kate into her arms.</p>
<p>She expected to be rejected. She expected Kate to snap out of it and push her away. She didn't expect to feel Kate reciprocate, her arms clinging tightly to match Sophie's grip as a sob escaped her lips.</p>
<p>"It's… Kate, it's ok," Sophie whispered, holding Kate's shaking body tightly to her.</p>
<p>"It's not. It's not ok," Kate choked out.</p>
<p>"Yes. It is," Sophie said softly. "It's more than ok, Kate. You had every right… You have nothing to be sorry for."</p>
<p>This was uncharted territory for Sophie, and it only compelled her to hold Kate tighter. She had never known Kate to cry - to see her let herself go like this. She'd seen her eyes red with tears, and on the rare occasion saw one escape down Kate's cheek before being angrily wiped away. Very quickly though that dam would be reinforced, holding tight against the rest as she overrode her emotions.</p>
<p>They stood like this for an unknown amount of time, Sophie trying to calm Kate's waves of emotion as they landed. It felt alien yet laced with a feeling of normalcy as Sophie offered small words of reassurance along the way. It was only when she felt the grip loosen and a rigidness take hold on Kate's part that she let go. She watched Kate step away, rubbing her eyes and averting her gaze. She seemed to struggle with what had just happened and tried to will herself back into a controlled temperament.</p>
<p>Sophie heard a curse float under her breath as she ran a hand through her short locks, gripping them in obvious frustration.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry. That was… I didn't mean to… to - that wasn't-"</p>
<p>"Do you want to watch <em>Zorro</em>?"</p>
<p>Kate paused, flustered by the embarrassment of moments before and wanting to retreat back to her own isolation but, in stark contrast, she felt the cool absence of where Sophie had been pressed moments earlier and wanted that same comfort again. Before she could refine her reply, she broke into a sea of conflicted words:</p>
<p>"I… I just… I have a bunch of homework and it's… it's already what, like, one in the morning? And there isn't a tv because Chelsea is-"</p>
<p>"You can just say no, Kate," Sophie offered lightly, taking the hint.</p>
<p>"But… but it's not like I don't always have homework, and it's not like we don't keep weird hours anyway, and as long as you're ok with a dinky laptop screen… then… then..." Kate continued, causing a small smile from Sophie.</p>
<p>"Dinky is fine with me."</p>
<p>xxx</p>
<p>"When did you get back?"</p>
<p>"Yesterday," Sophie answered, not taking her eyes off the screen.</p>
<p>They sat at opposite ends of the couch, taking care not to create any suggestion beyond two people platonically sharing the same screen for 136 minutes to watch Catherine's breakthrough performance. Sprinkles of conversation had appeared throughout the movie, always high level and without much commitment to the topics and queries.</p>
<p>"How was it?"</p>
<p>"Good. Bruce is…. he seems pretty great."</p>
<p>"Only because you didn't grow up with him pranking you every chance he got."</p>
<p>"Somehow I feel like it wasn't one-sided," Sophie offered, and she felt Kate try to shake away a smirk of guilt. "He reminds me of you."</p>
<p>"He'll be crushed to hear you say that."</p>
<p>Sophie smiled but remained quiet, instead falling silent as they both refocused their attention to the tiny screen.</p>
<p>There were things about Kate Kane that made her tick. It included a never ending appetite for sarcasm and a prideful streak that could get her into trouble faster than you could say 'Katherine Rebecca.'</p>
<p>There were also things that made her shut down. One of these was an immediate rejection if she felt pressured into something she wasn't ready for. Normally this appeared through her stubbornness, but it ran deeper than that. Kate had a way of closing others out if she felt pushed too far too quickly, and that was never truer than when it came to her emotions. Normally Sophie could squeeze herself through those walls and compel Kate to open up. It was one of the few things that made Sophie feel special: that she had once been Kate's closest confidant and wielded the power to provoke Kate into having the conversations she wouldn't otherwise permit.</p>
<p>But these weren't normal times. Sophie had lost that privilege, but that didn't mean she didn't know how to navigate Kate. It was through patience. She'd spent all term tapping on the window to gauge Kate's tolerance and retreated when familiar flags of her frustration appeared. When that happened she fell back onto her patience in hopes that Kate's anger would eventually run its course. Sophie wasn't convinced it had yet, and she certainly didn't presume to think she'd been handed back the right to challenge Kate after what happened earlier, so she remained quiet; waiting.</p>
<p>Kate didn't remember falling asleep, but she stirred when the sound of the movie stopped. Her eyes blinked open into darkness as she reacquainted herself with her surroundings. She was still on the couch and laid over her was the warm weight of a blanket. A shuffle toward the door caught her attention and her eyes settled on a familiar silhouette moving to leave.</p>
<p>"Hey."</p>
<p>The figure paused at the sound of Kate's voice through the dark.</p>
<p>"Hey," she called back softly.</p>
<p>A beat of silence passed between them as Kate swallowed down a realization that had been simmering in her since Sophie had appeared at her door.</p>
<p>"I still love you the same, too," Kate whispered.</p>
<p>A bittersweet smile broke across Sophie's face as she glanced back at the curled up form.</p>
<p>"Maybe don't be such a dick, then," Sophie said lightly, earning a chuckle of recognition from Kate.</p>
<p>"No promises," Kate replied, and Sophie could hear the smile in it, sending a reassuring warmth through her, like for the first time in months, things might be looking up.</p>
<p>"Good night, Kate."</p>
<p>"Night, Soph."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hi all,</p><p>We're here, we're here! This was not supposed to be a 45,000 word term, but c'est la vie. </p><p>Last chapter was supposed to be the penultimate, but things happened and everything ran long. Consider this the ultimate penultimate. The finale will be uploaded sometime tomorrow to keep up the suspense ;)</p><p>Cheers,<br/>EQT.95</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"You're thinking too much."</p><p>"Have you met me?" Sophie sighed in exasperation, lifting herself from the mat for the eighth time.</p><p>"You need to turn off your brain," Kate chastised.</p><p>"But I just replaced the batteries," Sophie shot back dryly.</p><p>It was their first Thursday session since the incident in Kate's room. Kate and Sophie hadn't spoken since then, but it was clear a flip had been switched. From the moment Sophie had nervously arrived in the gym, it was like every session before then had never happened.</p><p>For one, Kate was giving feedback. It wasn't a conversation so much as pointed critiques of how Sophie was or wasn't doing something right. Actually, in most cases it was how it was wrong, but Sophie was holding out hope there would be some positive reinforcement to this new version of training. Even if that didn't come to pass, this shift was enough to send her over the moon.</p><p>"Close your eyes."</p><p>"What?" Sophie asked, frozen in a defensive stance.</p><p>"Close your eyes," Kate repeated.</p><p>Sophie did as she was told, half expecting Kate to wipe her feet out from underneath her. It took her by surprise when Kate's voice spoke inches from her ear.</p><p>"Now," Kate said, "don't think about what I might do, just tell me what you feel."</p><p>"Ok…"</p><p>"What do you feel?" Kate asked, extending her hand to grab Sophie's right wrist.</p><p>"Your hand gripping my arm."</p><p>"Ok," Kate continued. "What else?"</p><p>"I… I don't know. You might be getting ready to pivot and twist or pull and use my weight against me, and then that would mean you'll-"</p><p>"Stop. No," Kate said, releasing her hand. "Try again. What do you feel?"</p><p>This happened a handful of times, Sophie getting more and more frustrated at her failing such a simple task.</p><p>"Sophie, it's not rocket science. Just tell me what you <em>feel</em>," Kate said with the same patience. She reached out and grabbed Sophie's wrist again.</p><p>"I feel…" Sophie began with an air of frustration.</p><p>"Just take a breath, Soph," Kate said. "What do you feel?"</p><p>"I feel… your thumb is against the inside face of my wrist and your fingers are on the outside. It's not fully closed."</p><p>"Good. What else?"</p><p>"Your grip is… it's twisting slightly…"</p><p>"How?"</p><p>"You're twisting... clockwise - clockwise for you anyway. You're twisting away from my center."</p><p>"Yes, good. Now tell me what you feel now," Kate said, and she shifted her grip slightly.</p><p>"Now your hand is closed around my wrist. It's not spread out like before."</p><p>"And?"</p><p>"You're pulling."</p><p>"What way?"</p><p>"Straight to you; up but only slightly."</p><p>"Good."</p><p>"What's the point of this?" Sophie asked, opening her eyes.</p><p>"When you see me go for your wrist, how many different scenarios are you thinking about?"</p><p>"I… all of them," Sophie confessed.</p><p>"Exactly, which means you aren't reacting to what I'm actually doing, you're reacting to some master flowchart in your brain. By the time you deduce what's happening, it's too late. But, if my hand grips you like this," Kate continued, reverting to her first grip, "there's really only two or three things I'd do with that."</p><p>Kate watched as her words sank in, and Sophie nodded in understanding.</p><p>"So, stop thinking. Start feeling," Kate said. "Now, let's try again."</p>
<hr/><p>The weeks began flying for Kate. Not that they hadn't been for the first half of the semester, but with the warming weather and chance to mix things up with the drill sessions, the added variety was making the days feel less monotonous. Melvin was picking up all the right habits, and Reyes approved handing over two of the first year groups to him citing that, if Melvin messed anything up, they'd still have three years to fix it. While Melvin took this personally, Kate laughed at the way Reyes was able to give such a backhanded compliment.</p><p>"<em>Why are you being so mopy? He's letting you run the sessions," she encouraged.</em></p><p>"<em>Yea, but with a built-in insurance clause," he pouted.</em></p><p>"<em>Sure, but this is when they're at their most malleable. The third years talk back, but the first years are too terrified to challenge authority."</em></p><p>"<em>That's true," he sighed, trying to decide how much more of a tantrum to throw.</em></p><p>With these eight extra hours in her schedule, Kate was finally able to feel like she was managing her studies. She wasn't on top of them like previous semesters, but at least she showed up to Chambers' class having read the right material.</p><p>Tuesday evenings were spent in town with Veronica and the girls. There was a bittersweetness about the second half of term: most of the group saw the light at the end of the tunnel and were excited to get out into the world after graduation. Since that meant only Kate and Sarah would remain, it had the foreboding quality of the weekly get togethers dissolving entirely come the following fall semester. It had become an escape for Kate over the last few weeks, and she was worried that, come the end of the year, it would be gone for good.</p><p>That concern was shelved slightly when Sarah showed up one recent Tuesday with a noob. She proudly displayed her to the group as a new member.</p><p>"<em>Look what I found!" she exclaimed, gesturing at the timid girl. "A third year and everything."</em></p><p>"<em>Sarah, just… you really lack tact," Jess sighed.</em></p><p>"<em>I can vouch for that. You should see her on the course," Kate smirked.</em></p><p>"<em>Do you have a name?" Rory asked after the chuckles died down.</em></p><p>"<em>Michelle," she said, her fingers gripped tightly around a sweating pint of beer.</em></p><p>"<em>And did you come here voluntarily, or did Sarah throw a bag over your head and kidnap you?" Veronica chimed in.</em></p><p>"<em>A bit of both?"</em></p><p>"<em>Hey!" Sarah pouted.</em></p><p>"<em>Oh, that was good. You can stay," Veronica laughed.</em></p><p>The new addition breathed life into the group, and Sarah in particular was ecstatic. As the weeks grew closer to the end of term, the nights went longer. Kate learned the barkeep's son "was their kind" as he put it. It was about as obvious a statement as anything and, while apparently the rest of the group already knew this, it explained the relaxed protocol when it came to closing up.</p><p>On one particular night, the owner slipped the key onto the table and asked that they lock up when they were finished. It was a gesture that didn't go unrecognized, and, whenever the opportunity arose, they tipped a little extra.</p><p>"<em>So when are you bringing Sophie around?" Veronica asked the following week as they exited the bar. They were the last two, and Veronica was too tipsy to be responsible with the keys.</em></p><p>"<em>You're drunk," Kate deflected, engaging the first lock with a click.</em></p><p>"<em>But she's gay," Veronica explained away.</em></p><p>
  <em>"I'm not having this conversation."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"She checks all the boxes. It's actually a pretty easy test. Probably for the better… if we had any other standards, Sarah would never have been let in."</em>
</p><p>"<em>Which way are you going?" Kate asked, latching the final lock and pocketing the keys.</em></p><p>"<em>Home," Veronica sighed.</em></p><p>"<em>Really?" Kate asked, surprised by the answer.</em></p><p>"<em>Oh, don't give me that."</em></p><p>"<em>What? I'm just… it's been a while."</em></p><p>"<em>I've been trying out the new girl," Veronica winked.</em></p><p>"<em>Ouch."</em></p><p>"<em>Relax, you're still the best of the group. She's... fine - definitely inexperienced."</em></p><p>"<em>I didn't realize you were a monogamous player," Kate scowled. "It's both progressive and incredibly traditional of you. A bit of an oxymoron really. Like jumbo shrimp."</em></p><p>"<em>Me? Never. I think we both know it's for the best though," Veronica replied in reference to Kate's proposal. "The sun has set and all that crap. Don't you agree?"</em></p><p>
  <em>Kate's scowl deepened.</em>
</p><p>"<em>You'll thank me one day."</em></p><p>"<em>I really doubt that."</em></p><p>"<em>Only because you never learned how," Veronica chuckled. "Bring her by one of these weeks."</em></p><p>"<em>That's never going to happen."</em></p><p>"<em>Look, if you don't, I will, and I always get first taste of unclaimed fresh blood," she winked.</em></p><p>Kate would never admit it, but Veronica's remark caused an irrational surge of jealousy through her. For one thing, it would mean admitting to something she'd been fighting all term and for another, because she knew that was exactly what Veronica was fishing for.</p><p>They hadn't discussed the night in March. Kate knew Veronica was waiting, somewhat impatiently based on the more and more blatant proddings, for Kate to make the first move, but she wasn't sure how to broach the topic because she still wasn't sure how she felt about what happened. No part of her faulted Veronica for reaching out to Sophie, that much was for certain, but a part of her did wonder what compelled her to do it at all.</p><p>More than Veronica's involvement though, Kate was struggling to understand what had occurred between her and Sophie that night. Added to that, as much as she initially fought it, Thursday was quickly becoming her favorite day of the week. Even as she walked away from Veronica that night, stunned by both the rejection and the suggestion, she found herself excited by the prospect that Thursday evening was now only two days away.</p><p>It wasn't that things between her and Sophie were rainbows and butterflies, but it didn't take long for Kate to realize she preferred the confusion of having Sophie back in her life than nothing at all. This first admission was key to their Thursday night sessions, and it changed their dynamic completely. But it also left Kate walking on eggshells; not with Sophie - with herself. As much as she enjoyed having a relationship with Sophie, she was still sensitive to the pain it had caused last time. She didn't trust herself or Sophie at risk of getting hurt again. Which is why she established rules as a way to negotiate this new territory: no casual conversations lasting longer than three minutes; no walking back to the dorms together; no watching Sophie in the locker room; no laughing at her jokes; no extended eye contact; the list went on and on.</p><p>They seemed simple - child's play, and yet Kate was struggling not to break each and every one of them as the weeks progressed. They had been easy enough to follow when she was filled with anger and resented Sophie, but now that those feelings had faded, she was left falling into old habits; habits that sent her into fits of uncontrolled laughter, that challenged her wit, that left her speechless, that made her happy. The only saving grace was that their sessions were confined to a sixty minute window, and Kate credited this as the only reason she hadn't done something foolish and drastic. She didn't have a tolerance to withstand anymore.</p>
<hr/><p>"Wh-," Sophie froze, her finger raised toward Kate's side. They had just finished up a session and Kate had broken her tenth rule of the night by picking a locker near Sophie. While Sophie arrived at the gym long after her, Kate knew well enough what zone of the locker room Sophie gravitated toward and had selected a spot that, as luck would have it, turned out to be four down from her.</p><p>"Did… did I do that to you?" she asked, startled by the deep purples of a bruise forming. Sophie had been improving quickly. This was in large part due to that fact Kate's training strategy had pivoted drastically. Sophie was normally a quick enough learner, but these sessions had been her downfall. It was obvious after just the first week that having Kate's critical eye as direction was the necessary variable that led to her improvement.</p><p>"You have surprisingly pointy elbows," Kate dismissed lightly.</p><p>"Why didn't you say something?" Sophie asked, her gaze interrogating the grizzly colors contrasting against Kate's pale skin.</p><p>"Because at least it wasn't my face this time," Kate smirked back.</p><p>"Does it hurt?" Sophie asked, extending her hand to run her fingers over it.</p><p>"Ow, yes, it does now," Kate hissed in surprise. "And why are your hands always so cold?"</p><p>"They aren't broken, right?" Sophie asked, ignoring Kate's outcry.</p><p>"Don't flatter yourself. You aren't <em>that</em> good," Kate smirked.</p><p>"Only because I've been holding back," Sophie retorted easily. "Maybe <em>you </em>should start wearing the dopey pads."</p><p>"Is that a challenge Sophie Moore?" Kate asked, her eyebrows raised in surprise.</p><p>"No," Sophie chuckled. "I know better than that."</p><p>"Uh," Kate began hesitantly, "you - you can let go."</p><p>A mortified expression struck Sophie like lightning as she realized her hand was still securely on Kate's skin. She retracted it while muttering a string of incoherent apologies that only made more obvious the shock and embarrassment she felt.</p><p>"It's ok," Kate replied without emotion which only made the entire exchange worse as Sophie fell into a sea of overthinking to what extent she'd made things uncomfortable.</p><p>Things hadn't been perfect, but they were getting better. Most of their interaction was still limited exclusively to the training sessions, but those had evolved to include lingering conversations after their ten o'clock cut off. Sophie did not take this for granted. It was more than she imagined when term started, but she constantly found herself second guessing or holding back for fear even that development would regress. This was the most egregious act to date, and the awkwardness she felt reflected that.</p><p>It had been nearly four weeks since the night in Kate's room, and while they hadn't talked directly about it, they both recognized the shift that came from it. For Sophie, that was monumental. While a piece of her craved a genuine and serious conversation, she knew that kind of thing was a big ask, and, based on how skittish Kate was, a long way off.</p><p>They finished changing in silence, both pretending a line hadn't been crossed moments earlier. Sophie lingered a minute longer to give Kate the chance to duck out before her. For as much as small moments existed between them, they were contained to the training session. It was for the best, Sophie reasoned away; while she longed for the isolation of these hour long periods to spill out into their everyday life, she took Kate's lead when establishing the new boundaries.</p><p>That's why she was surprised when Kate went against the norm and didn't immediately leave. Sophie caught the apprehension out of the corner of her eye and glanced over to see Kate caught in negotiations with herself.</p><p>"I'm almost done if you want to, uh, I just mean - if you're walking back to the dorms," Sophie offered, relieving Kate of the task and instead giving her the chance to reject.</p><p>Kate glanced over in surprise and looked like she might accept when her rules caught up with her. "Uh, maybe another time."</p><p>"Sure," Sophie nodded in understanding. "Have a good night."</p><p>"Yea, uh, you too."</p>
<hr/><p>"I see you left your better half at home again."</p><p>"When are you going to drop this?" Kate asked in frustration. It was becoming too frequent an occurrence for Veronica to nosily interject this conversation on the weekly nights out.</p><p>"Oh Kate, you know me better than that. I'll never drop this," Veronica smirked, locking the door behind her. "So?"</p><p>"No."</p><p>"Oh come on."</p><p>"I'm leaving, and from the looks of it, Michelle is less than subtly waiting at the end of the block," Kate said, already heading in the direction of the dorms.</p><p>"So she is," Veronica said, glancing behind her.</p><p>"Night Nicky," Kate said, taking the opportunity to bail entirely.</p><p>"Fine. <em>Hater</em>."</p>
<hr/><p>"Hey."</p><p>"Sophie, uh, hi," Kate said in surprise. She was nearly neck deep next to a stack of books.</p><p>"What are you doing?" Sophie asked, surveying the warzone around Kate.</p><p>"Well, it's a library, and this is a school, so… studying?"</p><p>"I didn't know you did that anymore," Sophie remarked lightly, noting Kate's tone was strained with sardonic frustration: an obvious symptom of her studying for too long with subjects she couldn't care less about.</p><p>"Yea, but, it's a full moon and Mercury isn't in retrograde, so, life is aligned."</p><p>"Makes sense," Sophie smirked at the continued sarcasm. "What are you working on?"</p><p>"Everything."</p><p>"Not quite: I don't see a dictionary or a telephone book in your little fortress."</p><p>"Only because it's all online now."</p><p>"Mind if I join?"</p><p>"If you can find a spot," Kate sighed.</p><p>"Really?" Sophie said in obvious surprise.</p><p>Over the last few weeks, Sophie had gotten used to being rejected by Kate. She wasn't dissuaded by it the same way she had been at the beginning of term and, at this point, she saw it more as a gauge of Kate's mood - a game of sorts. Generally the denial would come as a swift, blunt retort, but on the rare occasion Kate would hesitate before turning Sophie down. Those were the moments she was playing for because it meant some day Kate might finally warm and say yes. That 'yes' came unexpectedly just now, and Sophie wasn't remotely unprepared for it. By her math, she had another three months and a miracle to get there.</p><p>Her question was answered when Kate slid a stack of books aside to give Sophie a surface to work with.</p><p>"The sun is still up; I figured you'd be at one of your sessions," Sophie said, taking the seat across from Kate before digging into her bag.</p><p>"Melvin has them this week."</p><p>"Aw, shared custody. Do you miss them?"</p><p>"Hardly," Kate groaned. "They're first years and beyond exhausting."</p><p>"You should get more Melvins," Sophie replied thoughtfully.</p><p>"Melvin has been trying to plant that seed in Reyes' ear for the last month."</p><p>"And?"</p><p>"Reyes isn't dumb. He knows it would make more sense spreading the workload."</p><p>"You think he's doing this on purpose?"</p><p>"Oh, definitely," Kate answered.</p><p>"Why? I mean, this feels a bit excessive."</p><p>"I think Jacob put him up to it."</p><p>"Really?"</p><p>"That's my working theory, and before you ask, no, I have literally no proof they're colluding."</p><p>"That's very 'conspiracy theory' of you."</p><p>"But," Kate continued. "I learned they were in the Academy together; a year apart but both were part of the boxing team."</p><p>"Well if that tiny shred of proof doesn't make it an inside job, I don't know what does," Sophie smirked.</p><p>"I said it's a <em>working</em> theory," Kate scowled.</p><p>"What did you do to your dad?" Sophie asked, surprised by two things: that Kate's father would make her miserable all semester and that Kate was being so forthcoming about all of it. While she didn't want to jinx it by thinking too much into it, she couldn't help but wonder if Kate was using the conversation as a way to indirectly let off steam and take a break from whatever workload was surrounding her.</p><p>"I didn't do anything. At least I don't think so," Kate said, pondering for a moment. "Yea, no, I'm a pain in the ass, but nothing out of the ordinary."</p><p>"Is this about the Crows?" Sophie asked, beginning to piece the bits together. A nod of confirmation from Kate meant she was on the right track.</p><p>"My guess is that he's worried when I apply to the Crows it'll seem like I'm only getting the job because I'm a Kane, so something like this will help."</p><p>"That… that makes sense but is still kind of messed up," Sophie replied, making a mental note of Kate's word choice. "I mean, I've never met the guy, but knowing he's related to you makes it make sense..."</p><p>"We Kanes are a breed unto our own."</p><p>"That's for sure," Sophie chuckled, noting the way Kate's attention eased back toward her notes, indicating the conversation was nearing its end. Taking that as her cue, Sophie quietly settled into her own work.</p><p>"Is this for Chambers?" Sophie asked after thirty minutes of silence. Although silence wasn't completely true: the soft murmuring of Kate had appeared fifteen minutes in.</p><p>"Yea."</p><p>Sophie nodded in understanding, reading Kate's succinct reply as direction to remain quiet.</p><p>"Can you…" Kate began hesitantly after a moment. "Do you understand the Operation Bodyguard stuff?"</p><p>"From the Normandy landings?" Sophie asked lightly.</p><p>Kate nodded.</p><p>"Wow, you really are studying everything."</p><p>"Yea… I am... I'm so behind," Kate admitted. "And my notes are a mess and incomplete so I can't even use th-"</p><p>"What part are you confused about?" Sophie asked, slipping out another notebook from her bag.</p><p>"Well, I guess it's more about the landings themselves. They delayed the operation twenty four hours because of the weather."</p><p>"Right."</p><p>"But my notes say even then the weather wasn't ideal."</p><p>"Accurate."</p><p>"But then why didn't they just wait a bit longer?"</p><p>"Oh. It was linked to the phases of the moon," Sophie replied easily.</p><p>"I'm being serious," Kate scowled in frustration.</p><p>"I am too," Sophie grinned. "It was linked to the tides. Because of that they were limited to certain windows of time to land. If they didn't attack when they did it would have delayed the entire operation by a couple weeks."</p><p>"Really?"</p><p>"That and Mercury would have been in retrograde, so you know communication would have gone off the rails," Sophie said with a smirk earning a much deserved eye roll from Kate.</p><p>"How do you know all of this?" Kate asked, quickly jotting down Sophie's comment. "I mean… I've literally been sifting through book after book for the last hour."</p><p>Sophie shrugged. "What can I say; I guess I'm just better than the library."</p><p>"Your modesty has deteriorated severely," Kate laughed.</p><p>The conversation progressed like this as Kate peppered Sophie with questions about Operation Neptune who answered them with relative ease. At one point she needed to reference her notes for accuracy:</p><p>"Juno, Sword, Omaha, Utah, and… and…"</p><p>"What are you doing?"</p><p>"I can't remember the fifth sector," Sophie replied, leafing through her notebook.</p><p>"If this were a gameshow you'd have just lost," Kate teased.</p><p>"What does that make you? Besides, don't I get three lifelines?" Sophie shot back as she found the page. "Gold; that was the fifth."</p><p>"Only two lifelines left."</p><p>"Which was this one?"</p><p>"Phone a friend," Kate explained.</p><p>"My notebook is a friend?"</p><p>"Isn't it?" Kate asked dryly.</p><p>"Yea, well I'd say my 'friend' is far more reliable than asking the audience," Sophie smirked.</p><p>"Touche," Kate chuckled.</p><p>The next hour played out like this, fading into periods of silence before Kate inevitably posed another question that sent them down a familiar road of bantering back and forth. Before long a buzzing on the table returned Kate to reality. She dismissed the alarm she had set on her phone and began packing up with a sigh.</p><p>"Evening session?" Sophie asked.</p><p>"Yea," Kate replied as she picked up a stack of the books and moved them to the return cart.</p><p>"I thought you said Melvin had them."</p><p>"Those are the first years. The second and third years are still all mine."</p><p>Sophie nodded in understanding while Kate cleared the table and slipped her work into her bag.</p><p>"If you're free tonight, I'll probably still be here when you're done," Sophie offered.</p><p>"Oh. Uhm, that… I… not tonight."</p><p>"Yea, not a problem," Sophie smiled, unphased by the norm of Kate's rejection.</p><p>"Thanks for the help though. It… you just saved me hours of floundering."</p><p>"Good word."</p><p>A small grin of pride flashed across Kate's face as she turned to leave. She was all of three steps away before pausing.</p><p>"Uh, what… what are you doing Saturday night?"</p><p>A small spark of excitement rushed through Sophie as she tried to maintain a tone of casual indifference. "Still up in the air, although I was thinking about going on a self-destructive bender."</p><p>"Interesting. You haven't done that in a few months," Kate said with a small grin of satisfaction at the surprise on Sophie's face. "What? You started it," she shrugged.</p><p>"That… is true," Sophie replied after a moment's consideration.</p><p>"Well, if those plans fall through, Melvin and I are going into town. There's a bar that has a couple pool tables. It's all pretty chill."</p><p>"Oh," Sophie said, her discomfort showing. "Uh, yea, I'm not sure if… after January and Reyes-"</p><p>"That's... right, sure. I didn't think..." Kate said, realizing a moment too late what she was proposing. "Just, if you're worried, that's... you'll be in safe company," she clarified, sensing Sophie's hesitation. "No one's going to rat you out or anything. You can even be designated walker if you want."</p><p>"I… I'm just…"</p><p>"Think about it?" Kate asked.</p><p>"Ok."</p>
<hr/><p>"Oh good, you're here," Melvin said from the lounge threshold.</p><p>"Where else would I be?" Kate asked from a war torn couch. "Didn't I say we'd meet here?"</p><p>"Well, yea," Melvin said anxiously.</p><p>"Your excitement is showing," Kate observed with a smirk with half of her attention on her phone.</p><p>"Am I not allowed to be? After the week I've had, I need a break from this campus."</p><p>"You just want to play pool."</p><p>"So? Is that a crime?" Melvin scowled grumpily as Kate remained unmoving from the couch. "Uh… we going or what?"</p><p>"In a bit."</p><p>"What? In a bit?" Melvin asked in obvious disappointment.</p><p>"Yea."</p><p>"But why can't we go now?" he asked with the patience of a toddler.</p><p>"Sophie's coming."</p><p>Melvin gaped unabashedly for a moment before recovering a handful of words: "So-Sophie? Sophie Moore?"</p><p>"Do we know another Sophie?"</p><p>"I- I don't… no. Do you?"</p><p>"No."</p><p>"So it is? She is? How… how?"</p><p>"How what?"</p><p>"How did this happen?"</p><p>"The same way it did for you?" Kate deflected.</p><p>"You asked her?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"And she said yes?"</p><p>"That <em>is</em> why we're still waiting."</p><p>"But…" Melvin faltered. For the entire semester it had been taboo to bring either party up to the other at risk of having his head chewed off. Over the last few weeks he had taken up the practice of avoiding the topic altogether. Now he was regretting that. "Are you two… like…"</p><p>"No."</p><p>"But friends?"</p><p>Kate shrugged. "Why does it need a label?"</p><p>"I don't know. I'm just trying to understand," Melvin said, collapsing onto the seat next to Kate. "So are you two good?"</p><p>"Sure," Kate replied with a tone of ambiguity.</p><p>"You sure?"</p><p>"What's your real question?"</p><p>"I… I don't know. I'm surprised; last we talked about this, things weren't… that great," Melvin said, "and now… I don't know. How long do we have?"</p><p>"Till what?"</p><p>"Until she gets here."</p><p>"I don't know; she's finishing something across campus. Maybe ten-fifteen minutes?"</p><p>"Ok, so enough time…"</p><p>"For what?"</p><p>"For you to lose your temper and cool off."</p><p>"What are y-"</p><p>"Are you guys getting back together?"</p><p>"That is- no," Kate scowled, understanding Melvin's motives.</p><p>"Why not?"</p><p>"Are you serious?" Kate gaped. "Are you… what? Absolutely nothing has changed."</p><p>"What are you talking about? A month ago I couldn't say Sophie's name without being burned to a crisp and now she's going out with us?"</p><p>"I mean nothing has changed from November," Kate clarified.</p><p>"So you still love her."</p><p>"That is not what I said," Kate replied, feeling her temper flare.</p><p>"Mmm," Melvin smirked, "technically you did in a roundabout way."</p><p>"I mean nothing about Sophie has changed from November," she clarified, her frustration now carrying into her voice.</p><p>"But if it had?"</p><p>"Why are you doing this?" Kate shot back while swallowing down a pang of hurt at Melvin's teasing. "Nothing has changed. Don't be an ass."</p><p>"Kate, I wasn't trying to…" Melvin said, recognizing he'd just overstepped. "I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to open up old wounds."</p><p>"Drop it, then."</p><p>"Ok, but-"</p><p>"Melvin."</p><p>"Ok, ok, I… just one last thing, and then I promise I'll drop it forever and ever."</p><p>Melvin paused, waiting for Kate to reject him. When she didn't, he continued:</p><p>"You're both chicken shit about this whole thing. I press her just as much as I press you because you two won't ever do it on your own. As charming as your stubborn streaks are, they're going to be the death of you."</p><p>"That it?" Kate asked impatiently.</p><p>"Yea," Melvin said defeatedly.</p><p>"Ok, because Sophie is downstairs. You ready?"</p>
<hr/><p>From the moment they entered the bar, Sophie was quickly engulfed by the energy of the fourth years who quickly made introductions and, surprisingly, ushered her in as an old friend. She knew a few from the scholars program and Veronica from, well, their previous encounters, but she was quickly losing track of all the names being lobbed her way. Somehow though, that didn't make her feel insecure. If anything, the relaxed atmosphere was exactly what she was hoping for. Even Veronica being around didn't impact her the way she thought it would. Sophie quickly realized the temperament she showed Sophie weeks back was just who she was, and that relieved Sophie in an unexpected way.</p><p>She'd spent the afternoon second guessing her decision to join Kate and Melvin for a night out. The thinking side of her was terrified of risking another tick against her record for underage drinking, but that was pushed aside by Kate's assurances it was a safe space. The feeling side of her was equally terrified but for different reasons: she enjoyed every minute of Kate she could get but still found herself doubting the progress they were making. For that reason, she let conservative logic rule when negotiating this.</p><p>They'd barely been there ten minutes before the reason for Melvin's attendance arrived:</p><p>"You two are up," Jess announced, pointing at Kate and Sophie.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"Oh, no-"</p><p>"No, that's-"</p><p>"-I'm good-"</p><p>"-totally ok-"</p><p>"It's not up for debate," Veronica finally interrupted with a sigh. "Noob vs reigning champ to start. Have you ever played?" she asked Sophie.</p><p>"Maybe three times in my life."</p><p>"Perfect, so it'll be a quick death. Kate, you rack'em," Veronica directed, sliding the frame across the table at her. Kate shot her a quick scowl of annoyance before setting to work.</p><p>"Who has pens?" Tim called out.</p><p>"We're not betting," Kate chimed in.</p><p>"Nope. We always bet. Bar rules," Alex scowled, slapping a napkin next to Kate.</p><p>"What are we betting?" Sophie asked, scanning the new faces for direction.</p><p>"Whatever you want," Veronica smirked.</p><p>"Not true," Kate called back.</p><p>"Don't worry, I'll help her," Veronica said lightly, putting a reassuring arm around Sophie.</p><p>"Don't bend the rules," Kate threatened.</p><p>"You deal with yours, I'll deal with mine," she teased back.</p><p>"That doesn't even make sense."</p><p>"I'm two beers in. What do you expect," Veronica shrugged.</p><p>Much to Melvin's dismay, Kate quickly scribbled on her napkin, vying for her go-to bet before slipping off to the bar to order a drink. Sophie, on the other hand, was being monologued into the world of pool-betting. The skepticism on her face made Melvin wonder what Veronica and company were feeding her when Kate returned with three glasses.</p><p>"Time's up," Kate called, sliding a beer to Melvin before taking a sip of her own. "Sophie, you break."</p><p>"Remember when I said I've played all of three times in my life?"</p><p>"Yea, so?"</p><p>Sophie rolled her eyes, taking the cue stick Kate offered.</p><p>"I figured you should go first so you can say I didn't completely sweep you," Kate smirked.</p><p>"So modest. I assume this is how you've been making your millions lately," Sophie replied before scowling in concentration at the table.</p><p>"Do you need help?" Kate joked as Sophie fumbled with the grip on the cue.</p><p>"And let you sabotage my self-sabotage? No thanks," Sophie shot back before letting the stick strike the cue ball.</p><p>While it wasn't the greatest break in the world, it was far better than the scratch Sophie imagined. None of the balls went in, but a decent scattering provided options to play, and Kate quickly surveyed the table before setting up her first shot.</p><p>"You've probably got about… four minutes left," Veronica sidled up to Sophie. "It's weird how good she is."</p><p>"It's just math," Kate called from across the table. "I tell you this every time."</p><p>"No, I'm convinced you sold your soul."</p><p>"I didn't realize we were in Georgia," Sophie chimed in. The comment earned a scowl of confusion from the listening parties but earned a grin from Kate.</p><p>"I don't get it," Melvin admitted.</p><p>"Devil went down to Georgia?" Sophie explained, looking for recognition.</p><p>"Come on you guys. Charlie Daniels; it's a classic," Kate scowled as she sank her third straight solid.</p><p>"I grew up on the west coast."</p><p>"We know, V. We <em>all</em> know," Jess sighed.</p><p>"I'm just saying, songs about Georgia weren't on my radar."</p><p>"You're up," Kate called as she missed her first of the game. "Should I take a seat?"</p><p>"Ha, ha," Sophie said as she reviewed the chaotic table.</p><p>"You're stripes, by the way."</p><p>"Not solids? I thought you were giving me a handicap."</p><p>"This isn't golf, Soph," Kate shot back as Sophie lined up her shot.</p><p>"<em>Soph</em>?" Veronica muttered. "That's cute."</p><p>"Shut up," Kate said, her cheeks warming. Kate heard her slip-up, alright, but she'd hoped the background noise would have made anyone else miss it.</p><p>"Your turn."</p><p>"Well, that didn't take long," Kate replied, easily falling back into the banter from a moment earlier.</p><p>"You're welcome to volunteer your next two turns to me," Sophie grinned.</p><p>"I would, but it'd only delay the inevitable, and there's a whole night of match-ups to get through."</p><p>"So what'd you bet?"</p><p>"Nope, she can't tell," Tim chimed in from the other side of the popcorn gallery.</p><p>"You say that like it's going to be anything other than a-"</p><p>"No, no, no!" Tim interrupted Melvin. "Even if you know, you can't say. It takes away from the excitement."</p><p>"But Kate does that with her lack of imagination," Melvin scowled.</p><p>"What do you mean?" Sophie asked.</p><p>"She bets the same thing every time," Melvin muttered. "It's the most boring th-"</p><p>"Sophie, you're up," Kate called.</p><p>"Well, that didn't take long," Sophie mimed.</p><p>"Whatever," Kate said, grabbing her drink. "This one's yours, by the way," she said, gesturing at the full one next to it.</p><p>"Maybe after. I need all the edge I can get."</p><p>"I swear, if you two don't end up fucking tonight-"</p><p>"Would you drop it, V?" Kate hissed quietly.</p><p>"You can't seriously tell me this is platonic."</p><p>"It is."</p><p>"Sure," Veronica replied dryly. "And I'm a monogamous player."</p><p>"You mind shelving your commentary for the night?" Kate scowled.</p><p>"So testy," Veronica teased. "I'm just curious."</p><p>"No, you're instigating."</p><p>"Aren't they the same?" Veronica smirked back.</p><p>"Hey Kate?" Sophie called.</p><p>"What?" she asked, her voice carrying her scowl.</p><p>"Uh, your turn," Sophie continued hesitantly, reading the tension between Kate and Veronica. "But take your time-"</p><p>"No, I'm good."</p><p>"Ok," Sophie said, posting up next to Melvin.</p><p>"Woa, Sophie; did you actually get one in?" Kate asked as she surveyed the remaining balls.</p><p>"No need to act so surprised." Sophie sighed. "You're still three ahead of me."</p><p>"It'll make me feel better when I finish the game on this turn," Kate said before making quick work of the fifth, sixth, and seventh solid.</p><p>"Well, it was fun while it lasted," Sophie smirked next to Melvin.</p><p>"Don't take it too hard. I've literally never beaten her," Melvin replied lightly. "The closest I ever got was-"</p><p>"Shit," Kate muttered as the sound of a second ball fell into the pocket. Sophie glanced at the table and noted that, while the eight ball had disappeared from the table, so had the cue ball.</p><p>"No way," Alex called out.</p><p>"Ohhhh! Did she just lose?" Jess called from the bar.</p><p>"That's game. The noob, wins!" Tim called.</p><p>"What?" Sophie said in surprise. "No."</p><p>"Damn, you just took down the Kandy Kane on your first go-"</p><p>"Hold on. Yes she won, but I beat myself. Sophie still has six of her balls in play," Kate clarified.</p><p>"-and did what few mortals have accomplished in the last two months," Tim continued, unphased by Kate's disclaimer.</p><p>"Wait, no, no, Kate's right, how about double or nothing?" Sophie offered.</p><p>"What?" Alex dismissed over the others exclaiming surprise. "That's not how this works."</p><p>"Relax Sophie, you won fair and square," Kate said with a grin. "What'd she bet?"</p><p>"I don't want it. Can I just.. Let's call it a draw."</p><p>"Nope. Rules are rules," Veronica chimed in from behind her. Sophie glanced back and saw the same mischievous glimmer in her eye from before the game.</p><p>"Ok, I won, but let's scrap the bet."</p><p>"Is she always like this?" Alex asked.</p><p>"No, normally she's a pretty sore winner," Melvin smirked. "Won't shut up about it. No one will play Scrabble with her anymore."</p><p>"Who has the bets?" Tim called out.</p><p>"I do," Veronica smirked, pulling out the folded up napkins.</p><p>"Ok, let's hear it," Kate said.</p><p>"It's really ok," Sophie chimed in.</p><p>"Not a chance. Do you know how many bets have been lost on her?" Alex waved off.</p><p>"Oh, I can't wait. I hope it's good," Jess grinned.</p><p>"Drumroll anyone?" Veronica asked.</p><p>"On it," Tim said, beginning a terrible version on the side of the table.</p><p>"Kate, you owe Sophie…" Veronica began, taking her sweet time unfolding the square.</p><p>"V, wait-" Sophie pleaded.</p><p>"A kiss."</p><p>The rowdiness of the moment collapsed, engulfing it into a shocked sea of silence. All faces turned to Kate whose smile from moments earlier slowly dissolved into a blank expression.</p><p>"What?" she asked to no one in particular, her voice was layered with three parts confusion, one part shock, and two parts betrayal.</p><p>Her eyes were latched on the napkin held limp in Veronica's hand. She stared, as though waiting for it to announce the punchline. When none came, she glanced up at Veronica who was offering a smirk that directly challenged the shock coursing through Kate's veins. When the silence didn't end, her gaze turned to Melvin who was conspicuously focused on the beer in his hand. A brief survey of the group included a similar mix of shy or shocked responses among the sea of faces. All remained mum, unable or unwilling to break the tension.</p><p>Then her eyes settled on Sophie, and she felt every brick that had come loose get replaced, every crack in her walls get mortared up, and every section in between get fortified. And with a force that surprised everyone in the room she uttered one word:</p><p>"No."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hi all,</p><p>A small housekeeping psa: When I started this story, I mentioned I'd be taking a break once these chapters wrapped up. This still holds true; I've got some life to-dos I've been neglecting and am hitting pause on this for a few weeks. I don't really have a timeline, but I expect it'll be a 2-3 week hiatus. I may throw up a few chapters in the 'Outtakes' story in the meantime, but I don't know how frequently that'll occur.</p><p>In other news: it's snowing in London today, and as a kid from Wisconsin, I'm happy as a dayem clam.</p><p>As always, my sincere gratitude for giving this story a read on the reg, and thank you for all the kind, enthusiastic, and engaging reviews. I'll er… see? y'all in a few weeks.</p><p>Cheers,<br/>EQT.95</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <strong>Twenty minutes earlier</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>"So how does this work?" Sophie asked cautiously as Veronica pulled her to the side.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"We bet. It's pretty straightforward: Kate always wins, so it doesn't matter what you write."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Those aren't rules," Sophie chuckled.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"No, really. Last week I asked for a ride in her private jet," Jess chimed in.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Kate doesn't have a jet," Sophie added.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Yea, but it didn't matter because she still beat me."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"But there are rules," Sophie tried to clarify.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Veronica shrugged. "Technically, maybe."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"There's barely even a one in a million chance you win," a newcomer added.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Sarah's right," Jess admitted.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sophie looked like she might press for clarity when Veronica interrupted those intentions: "Look at it this way: you have one in a million chance of winning this thing, so my question to you is how risk averse are you?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Very," Sophie said easily.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I hate it when people don't take my advice," Veronica sighed.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"That's because your advice usually sucks, V," Jess pointed out.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Veronica scowled Jess into silence but not before giving a small eyeroll of indifference. "If you aren't here to help, you can go."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sarah and Jess both lifted their arms in defeat. "I need another drink anyway."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Get me one, too!" Veronica called after them. "Ok," she said, turning her attention back to Sophie. "So what's your bet?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"A beer," Sophie explained.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"You… you're joking," Veronica gawked. "I swear you and Kate are… no. I won't allow it."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"What? You've given me absolutely nothing else to go off-"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Oh, for fuck's sake, follow your feelings for once, Sophie."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"This literally doesn't even matter because she'll win," Sophie explained.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Exactly, so what do you have to lose?"</em>
</p>
<hr/><p>"Hey, Kate, wait up."</p><p>"Fuck off, Veronica," Kate shot over her shoulder.</p><p>"Now hold on just a second," Veronica called out, her voice sharp and commanding.</p><p>"What?" Kate shouted back, turning on her heel to face the scowl shooting back at her.</p><p>"What are you doing?"</p><p>"What am I-? What am <em>I </em>doing?" Kate gaped.</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"I'm walking away from what you did. You, and Melvin, and everyone else in there. The whole lot of you."</p><p>"What <em>we</em> did? First of all, Melvin was totally in the dark. No need to throw him under the bus."</p><p>"You let that happen," Kate continued, uninhibited by Veronica's retort. "Why… why didn't you stop it? You saw what she wrote. You saw… and you did nothing. Why wouldn't you…" Kate's words faded, her emotions catching them in her throat.</p><p>Veronica watched as Kate tried to compose herself from the shock of moments before still racing through her brain at warp speed.</p><p>"Why would you put me through that?" Kate asked. Her voice was small and sounded unfamiliar.</p><p>"What exactly did I put you through?" Veronica asked simply.</p><p>"You… you didn't… and then she… it ruined everything."</p><p>"Ruined everything?"</p><p>"Yes," Kate said in exasperation. "Nothing was supposed to happen so things could be normal."</p><p>"Kate, I hate to break it to you, but whatever you think you and Sophie have right now is not something, and it's definitely not normal. You're in this weird in-between state, and she tried to do something about it."</p><p>"That's easy for you to say. You didn't just get blindsided by your ex and put on the spot in front of people you thought you could trust."</p><p>"Fuck you, Kate."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"Don't close yourself off from that."</p><p>"You're one to talk."</p><p>"Do you have any idea what I'd have given for that?" Veronica said, her voice punctuated with her own concealed frustrations. "To have had Ashley risk that for me?"</p><p>"So what? You thought you'd just live vicariously through me? Did you see her face? She was petrified. You're better off without it," Kate growled back.</p><p>"And you're hopeless if you actually believe that. Yes, she was scared - <em>is</em> scared, but only because she feels something which is more than you've let yourself do for the past however many months."</p><p>Kate remained silent. She heard Veronica's words but she kept them at a distance; unable to bear letting them too close.</p><p>"You love her."</p><p>"And I'm working on fixing that," Kate argued back.</p><p>"God you're infuriating. I'm understanding why you two work so well together," Veronica sighed. "You love her," she repeated. "Admit it."</p><p>"Even if I do, that made absolutely no difference five months ago."</p><p>"Why do you argue with me? I'm trying to lecture and you just refuse to play along," Veronica scowled. "Admit it."</p><p>"Fine. Yes," Kate confessed with her own scowl.</p><p>"And she loves you, Kate."</p><p>"That didn't stop her from walking away before."</p><p>"Maybe, but it's also what brought her back."</p><p>"And what about when she leaves again?" Kate asked, the rawness of her admission displayed in her strained expression.</p><p>"Not if?"</p><p>"I can't do it again," Kate said softly, shaking her head in quiet defeat as a stray tear hit her cheek.</p><p>"Can't or won't?" Veronica asked lightly.</p><p>"Does it matter?" Kate whispered, not trusting her voice to speak through the lump in her throat.</p><p>"I can't tell you what to do. Even if I could I wouldn't want to," Veronica said. "But you have to decide if she's worth it."</p><p>"I didn't stay inside. Was that not a clear enough indication?" Kate asked with a flicker of annoyance.</p><p>"No," Veronica replied easily. "That wasn't your answer. That was you fleeing from the shock of her confrontation. It's different."</p><p>Kate didn't reply. She felt her anger fade and realized she was caught in limbo. She no longer felt the desire to storm off, but she also didn't want to cross the threshold and re-enter the bar.</p><p>"I'm going to shut up now and smoke this," Veronica said lightly, pulling out a cigarette, "and then I'm going to go back inside and ignore all the shitty things you've just said because we're friends, and that's what friends do, ok?"</p><p>Kate nodded, unable to articulate an apology but appreciative of Veronica's lingering presence. They remained in this silence for a minute, and Kate noted with gratitude that Veronica was taking her time with the cigarette.</p><p>"I can think of… a hundred reasons not to," Kate said finally. "There's no reason it won't end any differently. Nothing has changed."</p><p>Veronica nodded in understanding, taking a last pull from the burning stub.</p><p>"And even if it does, I can already see a million ways this becomes another disaster."</p><p>Veronica jabbed the glowing red end against the brick facade, letting the smoke exhale from her lungs.</p><p>"Anything else?" she asked. She flicked the dead butt into the tray next to her and turned back toward the bar, pausing for a final moment to face Kate.</p><p>"At least a dozen other things," Kate replied, her mind buzzing with all the reasons to run.</p><p>"Fine. But is she worth it?"</p>
<hr/><p>"So, uh, that went…" Melvin began.</p><p>"Terribly," Sarah finished, earning scowls of disapproval from the group.</p><p>"It could have been worse," Jess offered.</p><p>"No, no… not really," Sophie admitted softly. "That was so… I am such an idiot. I am… she is never going to speak to me again."</p><p>"You don't know that," Melvin quickly said. "She might just need to cool off. It's… it could have been worse," he said, falling back on Jess' words from moments earlier.</p><p>Sophie shook her head as a small smile of sadness appeared. "With advice like this, you guys should really start a business."</p><p>"That was some bad luck," Rory said from behind Sophie.</p><p>"Your timing is impeccable," Jess said dryly.</p><p>"You know who else had bad timing?" Sarah asked, earning another scowl from the group. "What? Are we not trying to make light of this?"</p><p>"I should go talk to her," Sophie said. "Tell her it was a joke."</p><p>"Oh that'll go over well," Melvin scowled. "Nothing like embarrassing her and then telling her you want nothing to do with her again."</p><p>"But that isn't..." Sophie began. "Things were getting better. They were… That's not… I just ruined this again, didn't I?" Sophie sighed into a hopeless realization. "I shouldn't have…"</p><p>Her brain was buzzing. It had only been a handful of minutes since Kate stormed out of the bar, but it had felt like a lifetime. Sophie was beside herself with terror when Veronica read off the napkin. It was a nightmare come to life when she watched Kate react in shock. The anger and betrayal rippled across her face before she rejected the 'bet'.</p><p>"V's back," Jess said quietly. Sophie turned to see that she was alone, but she wore a look of apology.</p><p>"That was my fault," Veronica confessed when she was within earshot. "I shouldn't have pushed you."</p><p>"No, it's not your fault," Sophie replied. "I should never have written it down. I don't know what I was thinking."</p><p>"You weren't. That was the whole point," Veronica sighed. "But I should have lied. I thought she would finally… shit, I'm sorry Soph."</p><p>"Sophie," she replied automatically.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"It's Sophie."</p><p>"She doesn't like Soph," Melvin explained.</p><p>"You're joking," Veronica scowled.</p><p>"It'd be a bad joke if I was," Sophie scowled.</p><p>"So when Kate… what about her?"</p><p>"What? No, that… that's different," Sophie explained poorly.</p><p>"Oh, you're an idiot," Veronica said, her face fading into realization. "You both are such stubborn idiots."</p><p>"This is literally what I tell them all the time," Melvin said in agreement.</p><p>"I need to go talk to her," Sophie said suddenly.</p><p>"Now that's the smartest thing I've heard all night," Veronica said with relief.</p><p>"Really? Is it?" Melvin asked cautiously. "I mean, you just came back from… well, I can't imagine it was a positive conversation given you're alone."</p><p>"Yea, she looked real mad," Sarah agreed.</p><p>"She was," Veronica confirmed, "but I agree with Sophie. She's not back because I'm not the person who can fix this."</p><p>"This isn't going to end well," Melvin said, spiralling into a fit of worry.</p><p>"I… I don't care," Sophie admitted, grabbing her jacket. "I have to try."</p><p>"Woa, wait, Sophie, think about this for a second," Melvin continued. "Maybe you should just gi-"</p><p>"Melvin, I've literally thought this to death for months, and it's gotten me nowhere," Sophie interrupted. "I can't just do nothing anymore."</p><p>Melvin looked like he might disagree when he saw a look of challenge from V, and he conceded.</p><p>She didn't know where Kate was, but she figured the best place to start would be the dorms. There weren't many other places she could imagine Kate using for reprieve. Her brain was scanning options when she reached for the door and stepped aside when it opened before her to reveal Kate on the other side.</p><p>"Kate, I… hi," Sophie said in surprise, taking a step back into the bar as Kate followed. "I was just… I was just about to-"</p><p>"I don't want to kiss you because of some bet."</p><p>"Ok, that's - I get it. I crossed the line back there, and I shouldn't have put you on the spot like that. Honestly I thought you were going to win and… and no one would ever find out, and I'm sorry about all of it, and- and please don't… please don't leave. I mean, you're here, but-but... If I could do it again I wo-" Sophie froze, surprised by the feeling of Kate's finger pressed against her lips.</p><p>"I don't want to kiss you because of some bet," Kate repeated slowly. "I want to kiss you because you actually want me to kiss you."</p><p>Kate dropped her finger and waited for Sophie's brain to catch up.</p><p>"Oh."</p><p>"Oh?" Kate replied cautiously.</p><p>"It… it's a good 'oh'," Sophie clarified, although her expression suggested anything but that. "I want you to kiss me. I want you to want to kiss me."</p><p>"But…" Kate said, hearing the hesitation in Sophie's voice.</p><p>"I just want to-to… can we go outside for a minute?" Sophie asked, feeling the weight of a dozen pairs of eyes staring at them from across the bar.</p><p>Kate visibly swallowed down her concerns and gave a small nod, letting Sophie take the lead as they took the few final steps out into the night air. Once there, Sophie paused a moment, feeling the weight of Kate's gaze which suddenly felt a hundred times more intense than in the bar.</p><p>"I don't really have a clear… I'm going to… I'm just going to say words. It might not be articulate or… or... is that ok?"</p><p>For as nervous as Kate suddenly was, a part of her was amused by the innocence of Sophie's admission.</p><p>"Yea, sure," she replied, inviting Sophie to continue.</p><p>"I wrote that down thinking you'd never see it. I assumed you'd win and I could just let it be a secret thing. But then you lost which… I meant it; what I wrote, and honestly, I'm not upset you know, but I am sorry for how this all happened. I should have just said something earlier, but I didn't want to… I didn't want to lead you on or hurt you again or…"</p><p>Sophie paused as she tried to get a handle on her thoughts. Kate was about to interject when Sophie began with surprising conviction:</p><p>"I love you, Kate. And I want this and you and… that's never changed. I've never not wanted this; even five months ago when I said… and if we kiss I don't want it to be nothing but I'm afraid of what it means if it's something because I know that I messed it up before. You are… I am… I am so in love with you, and that scares me - terrifies me, really, because I want to make you happy, and I didn't do that before. I hurt you last time. Everything about this and-and us isn't... what if it doesn't make you happy? What if I can't make you happy? What if I mess this up again?" Sophie began, her eyes swimming with all the emotions her words carried. "I love you, and I'm so afraid of disappointing you because you are… everything and more. You're one of the best people in my life. I love being around you. I love your laugh and your stubbornness and your cheesy charm, and the way you obnoxiously put everyone else before yourself and the way you've overtaken every corner of my brain and heart and… and I don't want to fail at this Kate because I don't know how I could ever forgive myself if I ruined this and you weren't in my life again. I want to be everything you deserve in a relationship.</p><p>"And that's why I can't just… " Sophie continued, beginning to get flustered, "As much as all of that is true, I also have a part of me that isn't ready to be out. That part hasn't changed, and I don't know if it ever will, and I hate myself for not being stronger… for not having that kind of courage... for lying to my parents about who I am. But I also realize that whether we're together or not doesn't change that lie. And right now I'd rather lie than face the chance they reject me for it. But doing that also means lying about who you are to me, and you deserve more in a relationship than that. And I don't want you to feel like it's because of you; it's not. I'm just not there yet, and I want you to know that because I don't want to hide anything from you again."</p><p>Kate watched Sophie for a moment, her brain buzzing with all the insecurities and concerns voiced. Hearing them was a breath of fresh air to all of Kate's doubts and, to Sophie's surprise, a small smile appeared on Kate's lips.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"You've always made me happy."</p><p>"That's not even remotely true," Sophie scowled.</p><p>"Ok, fine: there wasn't a day we were together that I wasn't," Kate clarified. "Even days you were a pain in the ass it didn't matter because you could never not make me happy, Soph. I just want to be with you - whatever that means. Things don't have to change. You don't have to know if or when you want to come out to your parents. All I care about is that, if that day does come, I want to be there with you."</p><p>"Really?" Sophie asked in surprise. "But what about… it'll be a secret again."</p><p>"I don't know if you've noticed, but everyone in that bar knows. You might not be ready to come out to your parents, but you just outed yourself to about fifteen of your peers tonight," Kate pointed out. "Which, by my book, is a pretty courageous thing to do."</p><p>Sophie struggled to respond and Kate took the opportunity to take a step closer.</p><p>"I don't have the answers for how this is supposed to work, and I'm not expecting you to have them either. If we did that would be… that'd be really boring," Kate said with a thoughtful smirk. "But that doesn't mean we can't figure it out. I want to deal with this stuff with you - together. I want to know when you're scared just as much as I want to know when you're happy or mad or grumpy. If you never tell me then we can't do anything about it; then we break up. And, speaking from experience, I definitely don't want that.</p><p>"I also know I'm not exactly the greatest at this either, but if you promise to try not leaving me in the dark anymore and that we'll tackle everything out in the open, I promise the same, ok?"</p><p>"I- I didn't… are you… yes, ok," Sophie said, trying to catch up to the ease with which Kate was handling everything.</p><p>"Great. Was there anything else?"</p><p>Sophie remained silent, instead responding with a look of confusion.</p><p>"Buzzing around your brain. Was there anything else?" Kate clarified.</p><p>"I… I don't think… no. You?"</p><p>"Just one: I would very much like to kiss you now," Kate smirked.</p><p>"You sure?" Sophie said with a small twinkle in her eye. "Because now that I think about it, the merits of Wayne Tech's investments in hydrogen energy has been whirring around in my brain for a while now-"</p><p>"Soph."</p><p>"Yes?" Sophie grinned back, feeling Kate's hands find her waist.</p><p>"I want you to kiss me."</p><p>And Sophie did. For all the built up tension the semester had produced, their first kiss was surprisingly tender. They resisted the pull toward something blindly passionate, and in its place came a softness. They cherished the lightness as they became reacquainted with the touch and taste and scent of each other. They were lips they'd kissed a thousand times over, and while it was filled with all the familiarity they expected, there was also the feeling of something new taking hold.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>a/n part ii: So this is where this term of chapters was supposed to end, but because of a recent request for happy Kate and Sophie chapters, I've included an epilogue of sorts to close this out as a final-finale in the next chapter.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hi all,</p>
<p>I don't know how people navigate to the latest chapter, so here's a quick warning: this is a double-chapter upload today plus the one from yesterday. If you haven't given the two-part finale a gander, this chapter is going to be a real spoiler, so I suggest clicking back and giving those a read first ;)</p>
<p>Cheers,<br/>EQT.95</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Awwww, does this mean you two are back together?"</p>
<p>The voice sent a shockwave through Kate as her eyes bolted open and found, cast in the light spewing from that hall and standing in the middle of the room, Chelsea and Tony. She felt Sophie's body go rigid in her arms, presumably from the same panic that was coursing through Kate's veins.</p>
<p>She quickly discerned from the darkness of the room that it was not morning yet, and that Chelsea had made an unexpected visit to the room after confirming she'd be at Tony's for the night.</p>
<p>"Che-chelsea, hey," Kate stammered. "What… what are you doing here?"</p>
<p>"Cute," Chelsea replied with a humored grin. "I'll take that as a yes. Tony?"</p>
<p>"That's what it looks like to me," he smirked, earning a blush from the couple as Chelsea pulled out her phone.</p>
<p>"Wait, you knew?" Sophie asked, sitting up and articulating what Kate was only just realizing. She felt Kate mimic the move but noted her hands remained gripped around her.</p>
<p>"This is too good. Who won?" Chelsea asked Tony, her phone typing at the speed of a bullet all while ignoring Sophie's question. "Not Miller, right?"</p>
<p>"Maybe?" Tony groaned. "Him and James were super close."</p>
<p>"What are you talking about?" Kate asked.</p>
<p>"Maybe we could wait to tell them," Chelsea pondered, her thumbs paused mid-stroke. "I hate that they were the last two standing."</p>
<p>"Guys," Kate began again.</p>
<p>"You couldn't have done this like, a month ago?" Chelsea asked, now looking at Kate and Sophie.</p>
<p>"I… what?"</p>
<p>"When you came to get Kate's bag that night. Ugh, it would have been perfect," Chelsea complained.</p>
<p>"She would have won," Tony said, as though that explained everything.</p>
<p>"Won what?" Sophie asked.</p>
<p>"The pool," Chelsea sighed.</p>
<p>"The… the pool?" Sophie repeated.</p>
<p>"You didn't," Kate gaped.</p>
<p>"You two really are the worst," Chelsea continued.</p>
<p>"<em>We</em> are?" Kate stammered. "I think we need to reevaluate that. You had a bet going all semester on us getting back together."</p>
<p>"Did you really?" Sophie asked, quickly drawing the same conclusion.</p>
<p>"Well it wasn't supposed to last <em>all semester</em>," Chelsea chastised. "Honestly everyone thought you'd be back together by early March, <em>at the latest</em>. What is wrong with you?"</p>
<p>"How long have you known?" Kate asked.</p>
<p>"About which part?"</p>
<p>"...all of it?"</p>
<p>"Oh, ages," Chelsea said simply.</p>
<p>"Are you serious?" Sophie chimed in with her own flavor of surprise.</p>
<p>"Martha figured it out first," Tony elaborated. "Last… May? April?"</p>
<p>"Late April. She told me, and I asked Melvin to confirm. Obviously he denied it because, you know, that whole 'fake dating' thing you were doing," she said, using air quotes for emphasis. "So I asked James who tried at first to deny it but then slipped up a week later to Miller of all people-"</p>
<p>"Who then told Martha who told Chels," Tony added.</p>
<p>"And Tony found out from me, obviously. Then we finally all confronted Melvin who, poor guy, just got bullied into admitting it."</p>
<p>"And that was maybe the final week of spring term?"</p>
<p>"Wait, so… you've known this whole time and didn't say anything?" Kate asked.</p>
<p>"Hey, we aren't the only guilty parties. Besides, it's your business," Chelsea admonished. "But damn, all those hoops you jumped through. The door idea was cute, by the way," she winked at Kate.</p>
<p>"I… uh," Kate faltered.</p>
<p>"Did you know?" Chelsea asked Sophie.</p>
<p>"Not until it was happening."</p>
<p>"Oh, just throw me under the bus," Kate muttered.</p>
<p>"It's true, though," Sophie said defensively.</p>
<p>"I think it's adorable. Kate Kane the romantic," Chelsea sighed. "Tony never does that for me."</p>
<p>"Why would I ever need to pretend to lock you in a room?" Tony gaped in confusion.</p>
<p>"Anyway, just came by to grab my charger. You two have a good night," Chelsea winked. "We should do breakfast tomorrow. Say ten in the mess hall?"</p>
<p>"Uhm, sure," Kate blindly agreed.</p>
<p>"Great, the whole group will be there. Can't wait to tell them," Chelsea smirked as she ushered Tony toward the door.</p>
<p>"Wait, what?"</p>
<p>"Night you two," Chelsea called before closing the door.</p>
<p>Kate and Sophie sat in the dark for a moment, both unspeaking as they processed what just happened. The timing was impeccable: they'd spent part of the walk home from the bar trying to decide if and when to tell the rest of the group:</p>
<p>
  <em>"I mean, it kind of doesn't make sense to hide it anymore, right?" Sophie offered.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"You sure?" Kate asked cautiously. Generally she agreed with Sophie. After months of hearing tales from the Tuesday crew, she was warming to the idea of people knowing, but she was also conscious of Sophie's hesitation about it being public knowledge.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Yea. I'm not suggesting we make out in public or anything, but it'd be way nicer not to have to hide it from the people we see everyday."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Were you not the one I kissed on the sidewalk a few hours ago? Because if not, I'm bringing the wrong girl home."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"What?"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"That was public, Soph," Kate grinned.</em>
</p>
<p>"Well that was easy," Kate offered after a minute.</p>
<p>"Yea, no kidding," Sophie agreed.</p>
<p>"It does make me wish we knew sooner though," Kate said thoughtfully as the shock of the moment wore off.</p>
<p>"Yea, no kidding," Sophie repeated.</p>
<p>"We wouldn't have had to spend all of last term in that awful study room," Kate continued to ponder. "Or that stairwell."</p>
<p>"No kidding."</p>
<p>"Are you glitching?" Kate smirked.</p>
<p>"No, we're just on the same brainwave and you're saying everything I'm thinking before I can."</p>
<p>"I'll take that as a compliment."</p>
<p>"How, exactly?"</p>
<p>"Because you just said I'm a quicker thinker than you," Kate teased.</p>
<p>"Not true."</p>
<p>"I read between the lines," Kate replied easily before giving Sophie's cheek a quick peck and falling back into the pillow.</p>
<p>"Well then you're terrible at reading," Sophie said, forcing a scowl that quickly dissolved into a grin at the sight of Kate feigning her own expression of offense. "All those nights studying lit were lost on you."</p>
<p>Sophie quickly joined Kate, nestling back into their position from before Chelsea and Tony's bombardment.</p>
<p>"Depends on how you look at it."</p>
<p>"Oh?"</p>
<p>"I got you, didn't I?" Kate asked lightly.</p>
<p>"Well played," Sophie conceded.</p>
<p>They both sighed into silence, lost in their own contentment at being together again. It didn't take long for Sophie to hear Kate's breathing, and she found herself fighting off sleep to stay in the moment.</p>
<p>"You aren't sleeping," Kate murmured drowsily, stirring from the grips of her own sleep.</p>
<p>"Your observation skills have improved," Sophie muttered with a clarity that suggested she was nowhere near falling asleep.</p>
<p>"Why aren't you sleeping?"</p>
<p>A moment passed without a response.</p>
<p>"Soph?"</p>
<p>"I'm an idiot," Sophie admitted cryptically after a moment.</p>
<p>"Yes."</p>
<p>"I'm glad that didn't take much convincing," Sophie smirked, squeezing Kate under the covers.</p>
<p>"Mostly I'm humoring you," Kate grinned against Sophie's neck. "You'll just monologue until I concede and agree anyway. This'll get you to sleep faster."</p>
<p>"I love you."</p>
<p>Kate chuckled.</p>
<p>"So you've said," Kate said, her grin growing.</p>
<p>"Sorry, I know. I just didn't expect to like saying it so much."</p>
<p>"I'm not complaining."</p>
<p>"Good."</p>
<p>"But why are you a halfwit?" Kate asked, her brain now waking up fully to join the conversation.</p>
<p>"Where do you find these words?"</p>
<p>"It's good, right?"</p>
<p>"It's both more offensive and nicer than 'idiot'," Sophie replied thoughtfully.</p>
<p>"Totally what I was going for," Kate smirked. "But really - and you don't have to give the whole list; that'd be exhausting. The sparknotes version is fi- ah, <em>ah</em>,why are your hands always<em> so cold</em>?" Kate cried as she flinched away from the fingers grazing her stomach. "We're under blankets and everything," she huffed as Sophie giggled in victory.</p>
<p>A moment passed before Kate pressed again: "So?"</p>
<p>"Because I thought this wasn't worth fighting for," Sophie answered after a moment. "I am… you make me so happy. I love you, Kate Kane."</p>
<p>"I love you too, Sophie Moore."</p>
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